HEEEELLLLPPPP! Very Important!

[Sherry Darling]

Take Action on Legislation for Debt Relief

-- Legislation introduced in the House!
-- Help still needed in the Senate

In the House:
-------------------

House legislation for deeper debt relief has been introduced by Rep. Smith (NJ) and Rep. Frank (MA), along with Rep. Leach, Rep. Lantos, Rep. Shays, Rep. Bachus, and Rep. Maloney. The legislation would provide an additional $1 billion dollars in debt relief annually to countries that currently qualify for debt relief. This will also nearly DOUBLE the current debt relief on offer to the poorest countries. It would also require that debt relief not be conditioned on some of the most harmful IMF conditions like charging fees for school and health care and threatening labor rights.

The bill number is: HR 1376

We need you help to get this legislation passed! We expect a fight in the House to get this through. We need every single person around the country to contact your members of congress immediately and ask for their support. Ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 1376

In the Senate:
-------------------

Senators Santorum and Biden remain fierce allies for deeper debt relief in the Senate. Last we heard, the Santorum-Biden proposal for deeper debt relief is still in the Senate AIDS bill. However, there is pressure to remove this section. Please be in touch with your Senators to ask for their unwaivering support of deepr debt relief. The Santorum-Biden debt relief proposal was passed unanimously last year through the Senate as part of the AIDS legislation.

Ask your Senators to support the Santorum-Biden proposal for deeper debt relief as a part of an effective strategy to fight global AIDS.


Why act now?
----------------------

Every second a child is born into massive debt in the world?s poorest countries. No matter how much they pay back, the debt just keeps growing. Debt payments to rich creditors are made at the cost of health, education and the environment.

The Jubilee 2000 campaign has won debt relief for the world?s poorest countries and the results have been miraculous. Millions of kids have gone back to school, hundreds of thousands have been vaccinated against preventable diseases and AIDS prevention programs have opened up with savings from debt relief.

However, much remains to be done. Full debt cancellation is necessary, practical, cheap and possible but has not happened. This legislation would take us another step towards our goal of full debt cancellation for the poorest countries ? and with your help ? we can win this year!


How can I help?
----------------------

1.) Fax or send a letter to your representatives, asking them to co-sponsor HR 1376
You can find out who your Representative is at: www.house.gov

2.) Fax or send a letter to your Senators, asking them to support the Santorum-Biden proposal for deeper debt relief as part of the fight against global AIDS
You can find out who your Senators are: www.senate.gov

3.) Arrange to set up a meeting with your Representative next time he/she is in town. Contact us for more information on how to do this!

4.) Arrange a meeting with your Senators or their staff next time they are in town. Contact us for more information on how to do this!


Where do you live?
-----------------------------

If you live or know people who live in the places listed below, then we need your help more than ever! The following Members of Congress are on the key committees that will decide about our debt legislation. Please help us find people in these key areas to act now!

Alabama:
Everyone contact Senator Richard Shelby

Alaska:
Everyone contact Senator Ted Stevens

Arizona:
Tucson, Sierra Vista - Rep. Jim Kolbe (8-AZ)
Phoenix - Rep. Shadegg (3-AZ)

California:
North of Sacramento- Woodland area - Rep. Doug Ose (3-CA)
Southwestern border of CA, Fullerton - Rep. Ed Royce (40-CA)

Los Angeles area? send thank yous to Rep. Maxine Waters for her support (35-CA)

Colorado:
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Delaware:
Rep. Mike Castle (At-large)

Send thank yous to Senator Biden for his support

Florida:
Brevard, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia Counties - Rep. Tom Feeney (24-FL)
Bradenton, Sarasota - Rep. Katherine Harris (13-FL)
St. Petersburg, Largo, and Clearwater - Rep. Bill Young (10-FL)

Illinois:
Chicago suburbs - Rep. Henry Hyde (6-IL) and Rep. Judy Biggert (13-IL)
West of Chicago - Rep. Dennis Hastert (14-IL)
Northern Illinois, Rockford, Crystal Lake - Rep. Donald Manzullo (16-IL)

Indiana:
Senator Richard Lugar

Massachusetts:
Newton, New Bedford, Fall River - Send thank-yous to Rep. Frank (4-MA) for his support

Michigan:
Grand Rapids area - Rep. Vernon Ehlers (3-MI)

Minnesota:
Senator Norm Coleman
Southwestern MN, Chaska - Rep. Mark Kennedy (6-MN)

Missouri:
Senator Christopher Bond

Nebraska:
Senator Chuck Hagel

New Hampshire:
Senator Gregg and Senator John Sununu

New Jersey:
Mercer, Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth counties- Send thank yous to Rep. Chris Smith (4-NJ) for his support

New York:
Nassau Country/Long Island - Rep. Peter King (3-NY)
Utica and towns South, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert ? (23-NY)
Stony Point, Mount Kisco, Beacon, Peekskill - Rep. Sue Kelly ? (19-NY)

Ohio:
Senator Voinovich
Marion, Lima, Mansfield and Findlay - Rep. Michael Oxley (4-OH)
Akron and surrounding area -Rep. Steven LaTorette (14-OH)

Pennsylvania:
Senator Arlen Specter
Pittsburgh - Rep. Tim Murphy (18-PA)
Butler, Hermitage, Meadville, Erie and Warren ? Rep. Phil English (3-PA)
Doylestown, Langhorne - Rep. James Greenwood ? (8-PA)

Everyone send thank yous to Senator Rick Santorum for his support!

Rhode Island:
Senator Lincoln Chafee ? thank him for his support and encourage him to stand strong

South Carolina:
Anderson, Greenwood, Aiken - Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (3-SC)

Tennessee:
Senator Bill Frist and Senator Lamar Alexander

Texas:
Southeast of Dallas, Athens - Rep. Jeb Hensarling (5-TX)

Utah:
Senator Robert Bennett

Virginia:
Senator George Allen

Wyoming:
Senator Michael Enzi

Your representatives and Senators needs to hear from YOU right away in support of this legislation. Please fax or write a letter asking him or her to get active on saving lives through debt relief. Sample is included below.

Watch our website www.jubileeusa.org for exciting events and information on Jubilee?s fight to reduce poverty and restore dignity through debt cancellation.

Momentum around this legislation is building again and with your support, we can break the chains of debt!

Contact Mara Vanderslice or Cheryl Duckworth for more information: 202-783-0129 or 202-546-4470

 

[BostonAnne]

Hi Sherry,

I sent an e-mail to my rep and forwarded info to a few sources.

I have a question. I received an e-mail from DATA yesterday and was asked to call my rep and ask for

"quick action and their support on the Hyde-Lantos global AIDS authorization bills for $3bn in 2004, with full funding of the President's policy in the 14 countries, expanded support for the Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria which is conditioned on raising more money from other donors; and full funding of this bill in the 2004 appropriations bills. "


Is the "Hyde-Lantos global AIDS authorization bills" the same as
H.R. 1376?

Thanks!

 

[Sherry Darling]

Hey Boston Anne. No, the Hyde-Lantos (I've always heard it called the Santorum-Biden but anyway) bill is the Senate bill. HR 1376 is the House one.

We've GOT to get on this, guys. Please please forward this to any U2 lists/forums you're on and make. that. call. now. Having gotten an insider's look this term as intern for Jubilee, I can tell you it WILL NOT happen without us.

Let me know if you've called or written. Sample letters are up at jubileeusa.org.

Cheryl

 

[BostonAnne]

Hi Sherry,

Hyde-Lantos is definatley a House bill, not a Senate bill. Here's the DATA e-mail I received yesterday:


Dear DATA friends,

Today the House of Representatives in DC took a big next step in creating an historic AIDS initiative. The House International Relations Committee passed by a wide margin (37-8) the Hyde-Lantos AIDS bill, which would authorize $3b/year for 5 years, including up to $1b for the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria so long as every dollar of the U.S. contribution is matched by two dollars from other donors. We hope the bill will move to the floor for passage by members of the House soon. While this "authorization bill" does not secure the actual funding called ?appropriations?) we need, it is a very important tool toward that end (see background at end for more detail on the legislative process).

As you know, the President announced in the State of the Union $15b to fight AIDS over the next 5 years. He outlined an ambitious and focused proposal to help 14 specific countries mainly in Africa, as well as support for the Global Fund which can spread resources to a range of threatened countries and leverage extra cash from other donor nations in Europe and elsewhere. Today?s House committee bill moves this announcement a step closer to reality.

Your voices are being heard in Washington!!! When Bono was in
Washington a few weeks ago, Members of Congress told him time and time again that their constituents are calling and writing about global AIDS. What a difference this makes. Today?s vote is evidence of that. Thank you!

Now we need to get the bill passed on the House floor, AND move the Senate bill through its process.


Please contact your Representatives (locate your members on www.house.gov) to urge:

quick action and their support on the Hyde-Lantos global AIDS authorization bills for $3bn in 2004, with full funding of the President's policy in the 14 countries, expanded support for the Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria which is conditioned on raising more money from other donors; and full funding of this bill in the 2004 appropriations bills.


Please contact your Senators, particularly if they are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (see http://foreign.senate.gov) to support a global AIDS authorization bill for $3bn in 2004, with full funding of the President's policy in the 14 countries, expanded support for the Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria, and deeper debt relief for countries with public health emergencies such as AIDS; and full funding of this approach in the 2004 appropriations bills.

Background

To create an historic AIDS initiative based on the President?s announcement, the Congress will engage in a two-stage process ? authorization and appropriation.

First, both the House and Senate will hopefully pass AIDS authorization bills, which lay out the policy to fight AIDS and give approval to spend money on it. This is the stage we are working on now. We are asking these bills to incorporate around $3bn for global AIDS in 2004 with full funding of the President's policy in the 14 countries, expanded funding of the President's support for the Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria, and provisions for deeper debt relief for countries with public health emergencies such as AIDS. The House International Relations Committee passed its bill today (April 2, 2003). The Senate will likely move theirs soon. We thought both bills would move earlier, but they were stalled, largely because of differences in approach between the Committees and the White House/Congressional leadership. We are helping iron out these differences to move the bills forward. The House and Senate must eventually agree on the same language.

Second, Congress must appropriate the actual money. This is when the Congress actually writes the check to fund programs. No amount of policy will help fight AIDS if there isn?t the money to back it up. The appropriations process begins in February when the President submits his request for spending for the next
fiscal year (2004) to the Congress. Then Congress usually passes a budget to provide a blueprint of tax and spending for the year. (The House and Senate have recently passed their own versions of the budget and must reconcile them.) Then, based on the budget blueprint, the appropriations committees figure out how to divide up the money ? global AIDS falls in the ?Foreign Operations appropriations? (These members are listed below.) Subcommittees move to full committees, then move to the floors of the House and Senate, and eventually passed and signed into law. The Foreign Operations subcommittees have just begun
to consider their bills for the year. This process continues until Congress adjourns for the year, usually in October-November. We are pushing for roughly $3 billion for global AIDS, which fully supports the President?s initiative and the Global Fund.

House Subcommittee on Foreign Operations (Call 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Members? offices)

Jim Kolbe, AZ
Joe Knollenberg, Michigan
Jerry Lewis, California
Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi
Henry Bonilla, Texas
David Vitter, Louisiana
Ander Crenshaw, Florida
Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois
Nita M. Lowey, New York
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois
Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Michigan
Steven R. Rothman, New Jersey
Marcy Kaptur, Ohio


Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Operations

Senator Mitch McConnell (Chairman) (KY)
Senator Arlen Specter(PA)
Senator Judd Gregg(NH)
Senator Richard Shelby(AL)
Senator Robert Bennett(UT)
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell(CO)
Senator Christopher Bond(MO)
Senator Mike DeWine(OH)
Senator Patrick Leahy(Ranking Member)(VT)
Senator Daniel Inouye(HI)
Senator Tom Harkin(IA)
Senator Barbara Mikulski(MD)
Senator Richard Durbin(IL)
Senator Tim Johnson(SD)
Senator Mary Landrieu(LA)

 

[Sherry Darling]

Hi Sherry,

Hyde-Lantos is definatley a House bill, not a Senate bill. Here's the DATA e-mail I received yesterday:



Right, Anne, it's a different but similar one than HR 1376 (the one I posted about).

Thanks for your passion for this, girl!

Anyone else? I KNOW there are more Angels out there in these states! Let's get writing!!

SD

 

[sue4u2]

I've called Senator Richard Shelby's office, written and emailed him on this issue. I have started an email campaign with my email list for everyone to do the same. I have hope I can do more with other people with their email list in and out of this state. I will give them the link that is provided here to find the addresses for their representatives and senators to write and email , too. Thanks BostonAnne

 

[Sherry Darling]

I've called Senator Richard Shelby's office, written and emailed him on this issue. I have started an email campaign with my email list for everyone to do the same. I have hope I can do more with other people with their email list in and out of this state. I will give them the link that is provided here to find the addresses for their representatives and senators to write and email , too. Thanks BostonAnne

Awesome, Sue Thank you so much for your advocacy!

SD