Washington, D.C.-ONE Vote ’08 Co-Chairs and former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Bill Frist (R-TN) will lead a bipartisan delegation to Africa on behalf of the ONE Campaign this month to witness the lifesaving difference American investments are making for millions of people struggling against extreme poverty and preventable diseases.

From July 17 to July 23, key political figures and senior advisors from both parties will visit American initiatives that are saving lives in Rwanda. The trip will also highlight the opportunity the next U.S. president has to replicate these proven successes across the continent to make a significant impact in the fight against global poverty.

The trip will be led by former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle and Bill Frist – the two men who, for the past year, have co-chaired ONE Vote ’08, the ONE Campaign’s presidential candidate outreach effort. They will be joined by a group including:

Cindy McCain:  Mrs. McCain has served on the Board of Directors to ONE-partner CARE International since 2005.  She founded the American Voluntary Medical Team in 1988, organizing trips for medical personnel to provide emergency care to disaster-struck or war-torn regions.  She also serves on the boards for the non-profits Operation Smile and the HALO Trust.

John Podesta:  Mr. Podesta serves on the ONE Vote ’08 Advisory Board.  He was Chief of Staff to President Clinton and served as a Principal on the National Security Council.  Mr. Podesta founded and leads the Center for American Progress.  He’s dealt for years on development and climate change policies.

Mike Huckabee:  Mr. Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas, expressed support for the ONE platform when he was running for the GOP nomination.

Jack Oliver: Mr. Oliver has served as co-chairman of the ONE Campaign board and is a key advisor and strategist for ONE Vote ’08. He is also a chief Republican strategist who has worked at the highest-levels of national and Missouri politics, including for both of President Bush’s presidential campaigns.

Leon Panetta:  Mr. Panetta served as White House Chief of Staff for President Clinton.  He has also worked as OMB Director in the Clinton White House.  Prior to joining the administration, he served in the House of Representatives and was House Budget Committee Chairman.

John Kasich:  Mr. Kasich is a former member of the House of Representatives who worked as the House Budget Committee Chairman.

“America is forging a legacy of hope and survival in some of the world’s poorest places, giving millions of families access to medicines, clean water and the chance at an education,” ONE President and C.E.O. David Lane said. “Our next president has the opportunity to finish the job-to finally erase the kind of suffocating, needless poverty that claims thousands of lives each day. We know what works and we know the way, but we need our next president to show the will.”

The delegation will witness the real, measurable impact America is making in the lives of the world’s poorest people through smart and effective investments in medicines, treatment, infrastructure, food, water and education.

“We are all in this together. There are direct benefits here at home for what our country does to help people overseas who are struggling to survive on less than a dollar a day. Providing basic medicines to treat diseases that are entirely preventable is a simple, affordable and effective way to make our world a better, more stable place. We want these critical issues, and the huge opportunity that awaits our next president, to come alive for these leaders,” Lane said.

Background

Thanks to America, millions of lives have been saved in communities all around Africa. For instance, by the end of 2007, 59 million bed nets had been distributed by the Global Fund alone, helping to dramatically reduce malaria rates in several African countries, including Rwanda. Also thanks to American leadership, more than 2 million Africans are now on lifesaving AIDS medicine, up from only 50,000 in 2002. In the last five years, some 29 million more African children have been able to go to primary school because the United States has helped with resources and expertise. Through these investments, America is giving millions the chance to improve their own lives, to return to work, to build stronger families and communities and, in the process, make a more stable, secure world for us all.

The trip is the latest advocacy effort of ONE Vote ’08, the ONE Campaign’s effort to energize and engage the presidential candidates to make the fight against global disease and extreme poverty a foreign policy priority. ONE Vote ’08 combines grassroots mobilizing at campaign events with an unprecedented non-partisan team of political strategists, policy experts, security and military advisors, entertainers and influential faith leaders. As a result of this grassroots mobilization and policy-level interaction, both Sens. McCain and Obama are releasing plans that address ONE’s core issues in an unprecedented fashion.

By showcasing the difference that America is making right now-and what future investments can mean in saved lives and a stronger global leadership role for America-ONE is playing a vital advocacy role. Through trips like this one, ONE builds an understanding with key decision makers about the reality of life in these extremely poor areas and the opportunity for leadership that America has before it. Already, this advocacy work, coupled with the efforts of other organizations, has resulted in substantial new commitments from the United States, bringing with it millions of lives saved from poverty and disease.

The ONE Campaign is a grassroots movement — 2 million members and growing — that is committed to holding world leaders accountable for working together to address global poverty and disease.

ONE Vote ’08 is a project of the ONE Campaign and ONE Action. It is not endorsing or opposing any candidate, but is encouraging all presidential candidates to address these critical issues.

The ONE Campaign is a global organization uniting millions of people to press government leaders to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world. For more information, visit www.ONE.org.

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