IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 6 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should provide, 

on an annual basis, an amount equal to at least one percent of United 

States gross domestic product for nonmilitary foreign assistance programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2017 

Ms. LEE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States 

should provide, on an annual basis, an amount equal 

to at least one percent of United States gross domestic 

product for nonmilitary foreign assistance programs. 

Whereas, on April 3, 1948, President Harry Truman signed 

into law the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, inspired by 

a plan of economic trade and assistance for European 

countries proposed by Secretary of State George C. Marshall, otherwise known as the Marshall Plan; 

Whereas, from the years 1947 to 1951, the United States 

gave $13 billion, equivalent to approximately $140 billion 

in 2016 and less than one percent of United States gross 

domestic product (GDP) for nonmilitary foreign assistance programs for 2015, in economic aid and technical 


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assistance to assist in the economic recovery of 16 European countries; 

Whereas the Marshall Plan, among other objectives, sought 

to assure global peace and defend the national security 

of the United States through direct foreign assistance 

programs aimed at combating economic, social, and political degradation; 

Whereas poverty, lack of opportunity, and environmental degradation are recognized as significant contributors to socioeconomic and political instability, as well as to the exacerbation of disease pandemics and other global health 

threats; 

Whereas elevating the United States standing in the world 

represents a critical and essential element of any strategy 

to improve national and global security by mitigating the 

root causes of conflict and multinational terrorism, 

strengthening diplomatic and economic relationships, preventing global climate change, curbing weapons proliferation, and fostering peace and cooperation between all nations; 

Whereas the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, signed into law 

on September 4, 1961, reaffirms ‘‘the traditional humanitarian ideals of the American people and renews its commitment to assist people in developing countries to eliminate hunger, poverty, [and] illness’’; 

Whereas Congress created the Peace Corps in 1961 and the 

United States has since sent more than 220,000 volunteers to 140 nations to promote the Peace Corps’ mission 

of world peace and friendship through service in the developing world; 


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Whereas, on November 3, 1961, President John F. Kennedy 

established the United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID) with the aim of providing direct 

support to developing countries in a manner free of political and military influence; 

Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress and successive administrations have worked to more than double foreign 

assistance and implement a number of new foreign aid 

initiatives to support global health, development, human 

rights, and good governance, including the Millennium 

Challenge Account (MCA), the President’s International 

Education Initiative, the President’s Malaria Initiative 

(PMI), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 

(PEPFAR), the Global Food Security and Feed the Future Initiatives, and the Global Health Initiative; 

Whereas President Obama has expressed his commitment to 

achieve the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty and hunger around the world in half by 

2015, as well as his intent to double the level of foreign 

assistance to meet that goal; 

Whereas the United States has pledged its support, along 

with every United Nations member state and numerous 

international organizations, to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in order to reduce 

extreme poverty, support sustainable development, and 

address the needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations; 

Whereas the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, 

derived from the United Nations Millennium Declaration 

signed on September 8, 2000, seek to eradicate extreme 

poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, 

promote gender equality and empower women, reduce 


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child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/ 

AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensure environmental 

sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development; 

Whereas the United Nations Department of Economic and 

Social Affairs indicates that in September 2015, major 

gaps still persisted in development aid monetary flows to 

the least developed countries and in eliminating trade 

barriers for developing countries; 

Whereas, additionally, many people could not access essential 

medicines—generic medicines were available on average 

in 58 percent of public sector facilities—and only 32 per 

100 citizens in developing countries had access to the 

Internet at affordable prices; 

Whereas the World Bank estimates that in 2013, 767 million 

people across the globe were experiencing extreme poverty, living on less than $1.90 a day; 

Whereas according to the United Nations Development Program’s ‘‘2015 Human Development Report’’ more than 

1.5 billion people (across 101 countries examined in the 

report) live in multidimensional poverty according to the 

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), an indicator 

which provides a comprehensive picture of severe deprivations common to poor households including in health, 

education, and standard of living; 

Whereas the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the number of undernourished 

people in the world totaled 793 million in 2015, equivalent to 12.9 percent of the world population and representing a decrease of roughly 200 million people from 

1990; 


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Whereas the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat has indicated that 

by 2050, the cost of adapting to global climate change in 

developing countries could amount to anywhere between 

$280 and $500 billion annually; 

Whereas in 2014, the United States was in 19th place behind 

most industrialized nations in official development assistance funding as a percentage of gross national income 

(GNI), totaling $23.4 billion and representing 0.19 percent; 

Whereas, in April 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry released the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), as a ‘‘blueprint for the next generation of American diplomacy’’ that builds on the ‘‘recognition that development is a co-equal pillar of our foreign policy’’ by focusing on four strategic priorities: fighting against violent extremism, building open societies, 

promoting shared prosperity, and curbing climate change; 

Whereas a principal objective of the foreign policy of the 

United States, as codified in the Foreign Assistance Act 

of 1961, is ‘‘the encouragement and sustained support of 

the people of developing countries in their efforts to acquire the knowledge and resources essential to development and to build the economic, political, and social institutions which will improve the quality of their lives’’; 

Whereas broad-based country- and community-ownership, 

sustainable and responsible trade opportunities, the robust engagement of vulnerable populations, including 

women, and a commitment to improve governance and 

the rule of law, are all critical to the long-term success 

of development programs; 


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Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organizations across the United States continue to play a vital 

and increasing role in international efforts to create a 

more peaceful and prosperous world for all individuals 

through direct and indirect assistance; 

Whereas studies indicate that 65 percent of the individuals 

in the United States, whose tax dollars fund Federal expenditures, support increasing funding to meet the Millennium Development Goals and to committing a higher 

percentage of GDP to address global poverty provided 

that other wealthy countries are willing to make the same 

commitment; and 

Whereas a firm and significant financial commitment to enhance United States foreign assistance programs exemplifies the compassion and resolve of the people of the 

United States to benefit and empower all peoples of the 

world for the betterment of humankind: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) recognizes that foreign assistance programs 

4 are of critical importance in promoting national se5 curity, demonstrating the humanitarian spirit of the 

6 people of the United States, and improving the 

7 credibility and standing of the United States in 

8 world affairs; and 

9 (2) expresses its support for attaining the goal 

10 of providing, on an annual basis, an amount equal 

11 to no less than one percent of United States gross 


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1 domestic product (GDP) for nonmilitary foreign as2 sistance programs. 

Æ 


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