Washington, D.C. – Sheila Nix, U.S. Executive Director of The ONE Campaign, today issued the following statement regarding the release of the Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for FY2012:

“The Senate Appropriations Committee deserves credit for prioritizing poverty-fighting accounts that amount to less than 1% of the total U.S. budget, yet deliver a real return on investment measured in lives saved. ONE would especially like to thank Senators Leahy and Graham for crafting a bill that protects critical life-saving programs that fight HIV/AIDS and malaria, and helps farmers grow crops to feed their families and entire communities.

“Today’s mark up demonstrates that, despite these challenging fiscal times, Democrats and Republicans can come together to protect the most vulnerable. As this bill is finalized, we hope additional funding can be found for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in order to meet President Obama’s commitment to scale up resources over the next three years.

“ONE and its more than 2.5 million members call on House Appropriators to agree to the Senate version, particularly for effective programs that are central to a healthier, safer and more stable world.”