Senate Budget Plan Cuts America’s Lifesaving Legacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The ONE Campaign’s millions of members are joining the effort to defeat proposed Senate budget cuts in initiatives that target extreme global poverty and preventable diseases.

Despite broad bipartisan support in Congress and a call from the remaining Republican and Democratic presidential candidates for an increase in these international affairs programs, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., proposed a federal budget plan that would result in substantial cuts to lifesaving, American-led efforts.

David Lane, ONE President and CEO, is urging the Senate to support an amendment that would restore these funds to the international affairs budget.

“The lifesaving portion of the federal budget seems to have gotten lost in a budget game in Washington. Too few dollars are being invested, and, as a result, too many lives will be stolen by brutal, extreme poverty and preventable diseases.

“Inarguably, tough choices have to be made in a challenging budget situation. But there are consequences to those choices, and, in this case, the consequences are deadly. This is the fund that, dollar for dollar, saves more lives around the world than any other federal investment. It buys inexpensive medicines to treat entirely preventable diseases. It feeds hungry children and provides basic education for boys and girls. Thankfully, there is time for the Senate to change course and to craft a final budget that sustains what will be the living legacy of this generation of Americans.

“As the budget debate moves to the full Senate, ONE urges senators to take a fresh look at this budget’s choices and consequences. There will be a bipartisan proposal to erase this budget cut, and ONE’s millions of members urge the Senate to back this plan. Republican and Democratic senators alike have talked a good deal about the importance of America’s work to fight extreme poverty and global disease; now is the chance to back those words with action.”