CWS Speak Out advocacy results for 2007

February 5, 2008

Thanks to all who wrote your members of Congress in response to CWS Speak Out action alerts! Below is a summary of the results of our advocacy and updates on the legislation we addressed in 2007. There was good progress on some policies and disappointment on others, but we hope you will be encouraged to keep writing Congress in 2008!

Water Funding

Congress passed an Omnibus Appropriations bill for FY2008, which the president signed on December 26. It included $300 million for long-term safe drinking water and sanitation supply projects, to be spent in accordance with the Water for the Poor Act . Of this amount, not less than $150 million must go to the "Development Assistance" account, and of the total $125 million will be made available for programs and activities in sub-Saharan Africa.

New Action: Please look for a new Speak Out on FY2009 water appropriations.

Colombia

Congress cut 31% from military and police aid to the Colombian government, and decreased funds for aerial spraying coca eradication. It shifted these funds so as to provide a 70% increase for social and economic aid, alternative development, and strengthening human rights protections. The bill included $15 million for development aid for Afro- Colombian and indigenous communities. It also ties 30 percent of the military aid in the foreign operations bill to meeting human rights conditions, not just 25 percent.

House Resolution 618 on the plight of Afro- Colombians now has 61 cosponsors, including at least 10 members of the House Foreign Relations Committee where the resolution is currently awaiting a hearing time.

New Action: Look for a new Speak Out on further cuts in military aid and increases in social and economic development aid.

HIV/AIDS and Health Care

Appropriations – The Omnibus spending legislation provides $6.5 billion for U.S. and global health activities, which is $1.4 billion more than was allocated in 2007. Five billion dollars in foreign operations spending will go to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (http://www.pepfar.gov/) -- at least $1.2 billion more than the program received last year. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/) will receive about $841 million.

In addition, the legislation provides $1.8 billion for global health and child survival programs. Funding for maternal and child health programs will increase by $101 million, and malaria and TB funding will increase by $101 million and $72 million, respectively.

The Africa Health Capacity Investment Act (H. R. 3812), which would provide funding for training and retaining health care workers in sub-Saharan Africa, has 33 co-sponsors in the House. The Senate version (S. 809) has 30 co-sponsors and has passed Senate Foreign Operations sub-committee.

New Action: Look for Speak Outs on Congressional re-authorization (the underlying legislation) for President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( PEPFAR) and calling for increased spending levels for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Israeli-Palestinian peace process

The Feinstein/Lugar resolution on Israeli-Palestinian peace (S. Res. 321) now has 36 co-sponsors. In this resolution, the U.S. Senate “reaffirms its commitment to a true and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the establishment of two states, the State of Israel and Palestine , living side by side in peace and security, and with recognized borders.” It also “calls on President Bush to pursue a robust diplomatic effort to engage the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, begin negotiations, and make a two-state settlement a top priority.” In his last year in office, President Bush finally appears to be “robustly” engaged in this effort.

Congress appropriated $218.5 million in Palestinian assistance for the West Bank and Gaza , just over half of the $410 million requested by President Bush. The president has asked for the remainder of this amount in a supplemental that will probably be voted early this year.

New Action: Look for new Speak Outs on advancing the peace process and supporting aid to the Palestinians.

The Farm Bill

The Dorgan-Grassley amendment to limit farm program payments received a 56-vote majority in the Senate. Unfortunately, a procedural move required the amendment to receive a super-majority of 60 votes to pass. We did see some victories in the farm bill: The Senate bill invests in rural entrepreneurship and rewards farmers for protecting our land and water. It bans meat packers from feeding livestock and takes steps to end discrimination against small farmers in livestock markets. Conference still needs to happen to reconcile House and Senate versions of the bill.

New Action: As opportunities arise, Speak Outs will continue to address the problem of “agricultural dumping,” in which U.S. agri-business companies buy and sell heavily subsidized U.S. farm products below the cost of production, thereby destroying rural livelihoods in developing countries.

Iraqi Refugees

The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act (S.1651) passed both the Senate and House as part of the Defense Authorization Act ( H.R.1585). However, President Bush has vetoed the Defense Authorization Act, but not due to concerns with the Iraqi refugee language. When the modified Defense bill is signed into law, it will include this provision. The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act calls for refugees to be processed within Iraq; vulnerable refugees to be prioritized, including those who have worked for the media and NGOs in Iraq; and the annual allotment of 5,000 special immigrant visas for refugees who have worked for the United States.

New Action: Speak Out in opposition to the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act.

Darfur, Sudan Peacekeeping

Congress appropriated $550 million for the UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur . So far only about 9000 of the authorized 26,000 peacekeepers have been deployed, and their deployment may proceed much too slowly.

New Action: Look for a Speak Out on moving forward the peacekeeper deployment and providing adequate funding.

Global Trade

Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority, which gives Congress only an up or down vote on trade agreements (with no amendments) , lapsed on July 1, 2007. Congress has not renewed it. However, some existing trade proposals were negotiated in time to be included under this provision. These include the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement , which we opposed and which Congress passed and President Bush signed in December, as well as the Colombia , Panama and South Korea agreements. The Administration is working very hard to influence Gongress to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Our concern continues to be that these free trade agreements require developing countries to allow massive U.S. imports that destroy jobs and undermine small-holder farmers and domestic businesses. They also raise the price of essential medicines by placing new restrictions on generics.

New Action: Look for a new Speak Out opposing the Colombia FTA.

Debt Cancellation

The Jubilee Act, which would deepen debt cancellation and extend it to more countries, without harmful “structural adjustment”-type economic conditions, has 20 co-sponsors in the Senate (S 2166). The House version (HR 2634) has 95 co-sponsors. Given its support in Congress this bill has a reasonable chance of passage in 2008.

On November 22 members of Congress wrote a letter to the head of the International Monetary Fund urging debt cancellation for Liberia . The Fund responded by issuing a statement saying that “the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has secured adequate pledges from member countries for the cost of the IMF's debt relief to Liberia , amounting to [US$842 million].” This still isn't the cancellation itself, but it opens the door for it.

New Action: Look for a new Speak Out on behalf of the Jubilee Act.

Child Soldiers

The Child Soldier Prevention Act (S. 1175), to engage the U.S. in doing more to end child soldiers, has 30 co-sponsors in the Senate. The Judiciary Committee held hearings on it. Since the House version of this act was introduced by someone not on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, this bill would really not move in the House. The plan is to re-introduce it this year.

New Action: Look for a new Speak Out to move this legislation forward.

Cuba

A general ban on travel of U.S. citizens to Cuba remains in effect, including severe restrictions on Cuban-American family travel, academic exchanges, and religious delegations. Rep. Charles Rangel, who is now the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has been a long-term champion of removing these travel restrictions and ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba. However, this year – probably so as not to create complications for Democratic candidates in the presidential race -- Mr. Rangel decided not to pursue his bill to end the travel ban. This was a great disappointment. Because of the presidential elections, progress in 2008 is also unlikely, though not impossible.

New Action: Look for a new Speak Out on lifting the ban on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba .

Thanks for your great work on advocacy in 2007!