ONE Applauds President Obama’s Budget

Washington, D.C.-ONE today applauded President Obama’s FY2010 budget blueprint, which included a robust increase for the international affairs budget, and lays the groundwork for President Obama to meet his commitment to doubling foreign assistance to promote global health, education, agriculture and other investments.

David Lane, President and C.E.O. of ONE, made the following statement today:

“The President, Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates and leaders in Congress have strongly articulated the need to elevate development as a pillar of a smarter, more effective U.S. foreign policy. Today’s budget blueprint is a positive sign that these words will be backed up with action. ONE applauds President Obama for a strong start to the process of strengthening America’s efforts to combat global poverty, hunger and save lives from diseases like AIDS and malaria.”

The budget outline submitted by the President designates $51.7 billion for the international affairs budget (the 150 account), the portion of the budget that includes global poverty reduction programs. As President Obama explained in his address to Congress this week, he has brought regular spending and emergency spending together. His 2010 outline represents a $4.5 billion increase over the combined regular and emergency international affairs budget for FY2009. The full budget will be released later this spring and will detail how much of this increase will be directed specifically to poverty-reducing activities.  ONE is hopeful that this amount represents a significant increase.

The blueprint document states that the budget, “puts the United States on a path to double U.S. foreign assistance. This funding will help the world’s weakest states reduce poverty, combat global health threats, develop markets, govern peacefully, and expand democracy worldwide.” To further underscore this commitment, the budget also lays out proposed continued increases through to 2014.

The budget blueprint continues:

“By increasing foreign assistance the United States will reach out to the global community and renew its role as a leader in global development and diplomacy. Through increased foreign assistance funding, the United States will embark on several new initiatives that will give children in the poorest countries access to education ensuring they can participate in the global marketplace; foster global food security through sustainable agriculture; expand goodwill and inspire service by increasing the size of the Peace Corps; and stabilize post-conflict states, creating room for them to plant the seeds of democracy….The Administration will continue to build on its commitment to save lives through increasing investments in global health programs, including areas such as maternal and child health, family planning and other core health programs, while also emphasizing a commitment to HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through successful programs, such as the President’s Emergency plan for AIDS Relief and the Malaria Initiative.”

During the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama committed to doubling foreign assistance and to prioritize the provision of basic medicine, food and education in areas where people are living on less than $1 per day. President Obama also stated that he will embrace the Millennium Development Goals of cutting extreme poverty and hunger around the world in half by 2015. Since those campaign commitments, the President has continued to articulate the importance of addressing global poverty, including in his Inaugural Address and most recently in his address to a joint session of Congress. President Obama’s commitments on HIV/AIDS, hunger, and child and maternal health, basic sanitation, and primary education can be viewed at www.ONE.org.