S. 1524 (H.R.2139): Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009
Sponsor: Representative Howard Berman, Senator John Kerry
Status:
- √ Introduced: 28 April 2009 (House), 28 October 2009 (Senate)
- [Passed by Senate]: Placed on Senate Legislative Calender 2 February 2010
- [Passed by House]
- [Signed by President]
- [Bill becomes Law]
Committee Status: House Foreign Affairs, Senate Foreign Affairs
Relevant Excerpts:
These bills hope to direct the President to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting global development, and for other purposes.
They are based on the findings that:
- Poverty, lack of opportunity, gender inequality and other violations of human rights, and environmental degradation are recognized as significant contributors to socioeconomic and political instability, as well as to the exacerbation of disease pandemics and other global health threats.
- The 2006 National Security Strategy of the United States notes: ‘America’s national interests and moral values drive us in the same direction: to assist the world’s poor citizens and least developed nations and help integrate them into the global economy.
- Poverty reduction is in the United States national security interest, in that it improves United States security by mitigating the underlying causes of violence and extremism, addresses threats like climate change and disease that know no borders, expands economic opportunities for United States producers and consumers, shows the best face of the United States to the world, and represents the values, kindness, and generosity of the American people.
The purpose of the legislation is to:
- Establish development objectives for global development policies and programs to reduce poverty and contribute to broad-based economic growth in developing countries consistent with internationally recognized development goals and host country priorities, including cross-cutting principles and best practices to ensure that efforts are as effective as possible.
- Address the continuum of activities relating to poverty reduction in developing countries, including activities to address humanitarian needs through urgent humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation, reconstruction, and long-term development.
- Establish development goals for each geographic region of the world based on the specific needs of each such region
References:
The bills presented here can be found online at www.opencongress.org
Information regarding the Representatives and Senators sitting on the Foreign Affairs committees can be found at www.internationalrelations.house.gov and foreign.senate.gov/
