Right now, there is a push in Congress to freeze spending for the 2007 federal budget at last year's spending levels. It is called the continuing resolution (CR) and what it will do is end up costing thousands of desparately poor African people their lives.
How?
Here is the latest entry from the ONE blog which clearly explains why the CR is so dangerous in the campaign to end extreme poverty:
I just want to post this from the ONE blog to stress why the ONE booth at the MLK Jr. Festival will be of the UTMOST importance:
http://action.one.org/blog/comments.jsp?key=1&blog_entry_KEY=329&t=
Almost Beyond Comprehension
02:30 PM Jan 05, 2007
As people who care about global poverty, this is a moment to pay attention.
In December, Congressional leaders made it clear that they intend to extend the current "continuing resolution" (CR) for the entire year. This means that U.S. federal funding will remain at 2006 levels throughout all of 2007 - and that the global poverty movement will not receive close to a billion dollars in funding increases that were set aside for the new year.
To say that again, the CR means that a year's worth of work for almost a billion dollars in funding increases, and critical momentum for some of the greatest challenges our world faces, could all be lost.
The majority of this funding, approximately $900 million, was set aside for PEPFAR, the President's $15 billion five-year program to fight the growing global HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to Mark Dybul of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator in a new UPI article:
"If that money is not appropriated, the program, which provides treatment for 822,000 AIDS patients in 15 focus countries, will have to stop enrolling new individuals by February...If the shortfall is not addressed, it could lead to the deaths of 110,000 to 175,000 HIV-infected individuals..."
"You can't just start up again in 2008 and bring them back. They're gone."
Additionally, pulling this expected increase means global partners will lose trust in the U.S. government's promises. "The chilling effect long-term on scale-up" says Dybul "is almost beyond comprehension."
There is additional money that Congress can still distribute into key programs for the 2007 budget. In December, ONE asked our members contacted their representatives on this issue.
Please stay tuned to the ONE Blog in the next few days for more ways you can take action.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE contact your Senators NOW and let them know that you DO NOT support the continuing resolution and that you want the monies appropriated to the programs to fight extreme poverty in the FY2007 budget that are supposed to be funded. (PEPFAR, Global Fund, MCA, etc.)
This is a matter of life and death for thousands of desparately poor African people.
It is also a disgrace by our Congress.
How?
Here is the latest entry from the ONE blog which clearly explains why the CR is so dangerous in the campaign to end extreme poverty:
I just want to post this from the ONE blog to stress why the ONE booth at the MLK Jr. Festival will be of the UTMOST importance:
http://action.one.org/blog/comments.jsp?key=1&blog_entry_KEY=329&t=
Almost Beyond Comprehension
02:30 PM Jan 05, 2007
As people who care about global poverty, this is a moment to pay attention.
In December, Congressional leaders made it clear that they intend to extend the current "continuing resolution" (CR) for the entire year. This means that U.S. federal funding will remain at 2006 levels throughout all of 2007 - and that the global poverty movement will not receive close to a billion dollars in funding increases that were set aside for the new year.
To say that again, the CR means that a year's worth of work for almost a billion dollars in funding increases, and critical momentum for some of the greatest challenges our world faces, could all be lost.
The majority of this funding, approximately $900 million, was set aside for PEPFAR, the President's $15 billion five-year program to fight the growing global HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to Mark Dybul of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator in a new UPI article:
"If that money is not appropriated, the program, which provides treatment for 822,000 AIDS patients in 15 focus countries, will have to stop enrolling new individuals by February...If the shortfall is not addressed, it could lead to the deaths of 110,000 to 175,000 HIV-infected individuals..."
"You can't just start up again in 2008 and bring them back. They're gone."
Additionally, pulling this expected increase means global partners will lose trust in the U.S. government's promises. "The chilling effect long-term on scale-up" says Dybul "is almost beyond comprehension."
There is additional money that Congress can still distribute into key programs for the 2007 budget. In December, ONE asked our members contacted their representatives on this issue.
Please stay tuned to the ONE Blog in the next few days for more ways you can take action.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE contact your Senators NOW and let them know that you DO NOT support the continuing resolution and that you want the monies appropriated to the programs to fight extreme poverty in the FY2007 budget that are supposed to be funded. (PEPFAR, Global Fund, MCA, etc.)
This is a matter of life and death for thousands of desparately poor African people.
It is also a disgrace by our Congress.