Ask Hillary Clinton the Right Questions
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday to confirm Hillary Clinton's nomination to Secretary of State, and we have to make sure our Senators ask questions about global poverty to set the tone for State Department priorities during the next four years. Please use the information below, and the video at left, as a guide for calling your Senator. And don't forget to report your call!
Instructions for Making Your Call
1. Introduce yourself to the Senate staff member who answers your call, and make sure to tell her or him that you are a constituent.
2. Explain that you are calling to talk about the upcoming confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton, and you hope your Senator will ask Clinton about her plans to tackle global poverty and preventable diseases.
3. You can continue by suggesting specific questions from the talking points, below.
4. When you're finished, thank the staff member for his or her time and for passing along your concerns. Then report how your call went using the reporting tool, to the right.
Talking Points
(Below are actual questions you can recommend your Senator ask Hillary Clinton during her confirmation hearing.)
1. Education
"As a Senator, Hillary Clinton has made the 'Education for All' Act a lynchpin of her global poverty strategy. Please ask her whether international basic education will remain her priority in the State Department, and what policies she will design and implement to support it."
2. Malaria
"This year, nearly one million people, mostly African children under five years old, will die from malaria. Please ask Senator Clinton about her plans to wipe out this scourge on the world's poorest people."
3. Agriculture
"In 2008, food crises ravaged many poor countries due to dramatic increases in food prices. The U.S. is admirably a global leader in providing emergency food and disaster assistance, but we must have sustainable solutions as well. Please ask Senator Clinton what she will do as Secretary of State to boost agricultural production in developing countries."
4. Development and National Security
"I'm concerned about how America is perceived in the world, and I've heard that in places in Africa that have been helped by our AIDS program, PEPFAR, the U.S. is viewed favorably. I would like to know Hillary Clinton's positions on elevating development as a foreign policy tool, the relationship between poverty and U.S. national security, and whether she believes improved development efforts can restore our international standing."
5. Aid Reform
"Please ask Hillary Clinton how she will implement President-elect Obama's commitment to streamline USAID efforts with other foreign assistance programs, and how she will preserve the best elements of our distinct programs in a U.S. foreign aid restructuring process."
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