Interfaith Millennium Development Goals Coalition

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Millennium Development Goals
Point Seven

Legislation

Now: 111th U.S. Congress (2009–2010)

Our top legislative goal is ensuring that the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is rewritten with a strong commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), representing Van Nuys and the San Fernando Valley, has repeatedly said that he intends to rewrite the Foreign Assistance Act.
More info: RESULTS’ Foreign Aid Reform Campaign.
Action: RESULTS’ Ask Your Member of Congress to Lead on Foreign Aid Reform — prepared December 2008 and remains current.

The Point 7 Now coalition has endorsed one bill in the 111th U.S. Congress.

Name	Number	Description		Bay Area Cosponsors	Status
Global Poverty Act of 2009	H.R.2639	Seeks to eliminate extreme poverty by: * Declaring it official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme global poverty in half by 2015. * Requiring the president to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out that policy. * Including guidelines for what the strategy should include — from aid, trade, and debt relief, to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs, to ensuring environmental sustainability. * Requiring that the president’s strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables. * Requiring the president to report back to Congress annually on progress made in the implementation of the global poverty strategy.		Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Past: 110th U.S. Congress (2007–2008)

The Point 7 Now coalition endorsed four bills in the 110th U.S. Congress (2007–2008). The Lantos-Hyde Act was signed into law on July 30, 2008. The other three bills did not pass. If any of them are re-introduced in the 111th Congress, we will probably endorse them at that time.

Name	Number	Description		Bay Area Cosponsors	Status
Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Lantos-Hyde or PEPFAR Bill)	H.R. 5501 S. 2731	Authorizes $48 billion over 5 years for the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with sharp increases for TB control and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.	Rep. Barbara Lee. Bill introduced by Foreign Affairs leadership and never put out for general cosponsorship.	Signed into law by President Bush July 30, 2008.
Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act of 2007 (GROWTH Act)	H.R. 2965 S. 2069	Targets assistance for women in developing countries with respect to: (1) microenterprises; (2) small and medium enterprises; (3) private property rights and land tenure security; (4) employment access; (5) trade benefits; (6) exchanges with U.S. entrepreneurs; (7) Millennium Challenge Account assistance; and (8) indigenous women's organizations.	Reps. Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Dan Lungren, George Miller, Pete Stark, Ellen Tauscher.	Did not get reported out of the House and Senate committees.
Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2008	H.R. 2634 S. 2166	To provide for greater responsibility in lending and expanded cancellation of debts owed to the United States and the international financial institutions by low-income countries, and for other purposes.	Reps. Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, George Miller, Pete Stark, Lynn Woolsey. Senator Barbara Boxer.	Passed by the House, Reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee August 1, 2008, but the Senate never voted on it.
Global Poverty Act of 2007	H.R. 1302 S. 2433	Seeks to eliminate extreme poverty by: * Declaring it official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme global poverty in half by 2015. * Requiring the president to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out that policy. * Including guidelines for what the strategy should include — from aid, trade, and debt relief, to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs, to ensuring environmental sustainability. * Requiring that the president’s strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables. * Requiring the president to report back to Congress annually on progress made in the implementation of the global poverty strategy.	Reps, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Mike Honda, Tom Lantos, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Jerry McNerney, Pete Stark, Ellen Tauscher, Lynn Woolsey. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.	House passed by unanimous voice vote. Reported out of Senate Foreign Relations Committee April 24, 2008. Although supported by a strong bipartisan majority, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) placed a hold (silent filibuster) on it, preventing passage.