IIB 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1302 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 

Received, read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

AN ACT 

To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign 

policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the 

achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of 

people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on 

less than $1 per day. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Poverty Act 

5 of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) More than one billion people worldwide live 

9 on less than $1 per day, and another 1.6 billion peo10 ple struggle to survive on less than $2 per day, ac11 cording to the World Bank. 

12 (2) At the United Nations Millennium Summit 

13 in 2000, the United States joined more than 180 

14 other countries in committing to work toward the 

15 United Nations Millennium Development Goals to 

16 improve life for the world’s poorest people by 2015. 

17 (3) The United Nations Millennium Develop18 ment Goals include the goal of reducing by one-half 

19 the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 

20 and 2015, that live on less than $1 per day, cutting 

21 in half the proportion of people suffering from hun22 ger and unable to access safe drinking water and 

23 sanitation, reducing child mortality by two-thirds, 

24 ensuring basic education for all children, and revers25 ing the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria, while susVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:45 Sep 28, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1302.RFS H1302

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1 taining the environment upon which human life de2 pends. 

3 (4) On March 22, 2002, President George W. 

4 Bush stated: ‘‘We fight against poverty because hope 

5 is an answer to terror. We fight against poverty be6 cause opportunity is a fundamental right to human 

7 dignity. We fight against poverty because faith re8 quires it and conscience demands it. We fight 

9 against poverty with a growing conviction that major 

10 progress is within our reach.’’. 

11 (5) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the 

12 United States notes: ‘‘[A] world where some live in 

13 comfort and plenty, while half of the human race 

14 lives on less than $2 per day, is neither just nor sta15 ble. Including all of the world’s poor in an expanding 

16 circle of development and opportunity is a moral im17 perative and one of the top priorities of United 

18 States international policy.’’. 

19 (6) The 2006 National Security Strategy of the 

20 United States notes: ‘‘America’s national interests 

21 and moral values drive us in the same direction: to 

22 assist the world’s poor citizens and least developed 

23 nations and help integrate them into the global econ24 omy.’’. 


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1 (7) The bipartisan Final Report of the National 

2 Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 

3 States recommends: ‘‘A comprehensive United 

4 States strategy to counter terrorism should include 

5 economic policies that encourage development, more 

6 open societies, and opportunities for people to im7 prove the lives of their families and enhance pros8 pects for their children.’’. 

9 (8) At the summit of the Group of Eight (G– 

10 8) nations in July 2005, leaders from all eight coun11 tries committed to increase aid to Africa from the 

12 current $25 billion annually to $50 billion by 2010, 

13 and to cancel 100 percent of the debt obligations 

14 owed to the World Bank, African Development 

15 Bank, and International Monetary Fund by 18 of 

16 the world’s poorest nations. 

17 (9) At the United Nations World Summit in 

18 September 2005, the United States joined more 

19 than 180 other governments in reiterating their 

20 commitment to achieve the United Nations Millen21 nium Development Goals by 2015. 

22 (10) The United States has recognized the need 

23 for increased financial and technical assistance to 

24 countries burdened by extreme poverty, as well as 

25 the need for strengthened economic and trade opporVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:45 Sep 28, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1302.RFS H1302

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1 tunities for those countries, through significant ini2 tiatives in recent years, including the United States 

3 Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and 

4 Malaria Act of 2003, the Millennium Challenge Act 

5 of 2003, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initia6 tive, and trade preference programs for developing 

7 countries, such as the African Growth and Oppor8 tunity Act. 

9 (11) In January 2006, United States Secretary 

10 of State Condoleezza Rice initiated a restructuring 

11 of the United States foreign assistance program, in12 cluding the creation of a Director of Foreign Assist13 ance, who maintains authority over Department of 

14 State and United States Agency for International 

15 Development (USAID) foreign assistance funding 

16 and programs. 

17 (12) In January 2007, the Department of 

18 State’s Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance 

19 added poverty reduction as an explicit, central com20 ponent of the overall goal of United States foreign 

21 assistance. The official goal of United States foreign 

22 assistance is: ‘‘To help build and sustain democratic, 

23 well-governed states that respond to the needs of 

24 their people, reduce widespread poverty and conduct 

25 themselves responsibly in the international system.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 

2 It is the policy of the United States to promote the 

3 reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme 

4 global poverty, and the achievement of the United Nations 

5 Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the 

6 proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, 

7 who live on less than $1 per day. 

8 SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE 

9 STRATEGY. 

10 (a) STRATEGY.—The President, acting through the 

11 Secretary of State, and in consultation with the heads of 

12 other appropriate departments and agencies of the Gov13 ernment of the United States, international organizations, 

14 international financial institutions, the governments of de15 veloping and developed countries, United States and inter16 national nongovernmental organizations, civil society orga17 nizations, and other appropriate entities, shall develop and 

18 implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United 

19 States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction 

20 of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global pov21 erty, and the achievement of the United Nations Millen22 nium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the pro23 portion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who 

24 live on less than $1 per day. 

25 (b) CONTENTS.—The strategy required by subsection 

26 (a) shall include, but not be limited to, specific and measVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:45 Sep 28, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1302.RFS H1302

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1 urable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and 

2 timetables to achieve the objectives described in subsection 

3 (a). 

4 (c) COMPONENTS.—The strategy required by sub5 section (a) should include, but not be limited to, the fol6 lowing components: 

7 (1) Continued investment in existing United 

8 States initiatives related to international poverty re9 duction, such as the United States Leadership 

10 Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act 

11 of 2003, the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, the 

12 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and 

13 trade preference programs for developing countries, 

14 such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act. 

15 (2) Improving the effectiveness of development 

16 assistance and making available additional overall 

17 United States assistance levels as appropriate. 

18 (3) Enhancing and expanding debt relief as ap19 propriate. 

20 (4) Leveraging United States trade policy 

21 where possible to enhance economic development 

22 prospects for developing countries. 

23 (5) Coordinating efforts and working in co24 operation with developed and developing countries, 


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1 international organizations, and international finan2 cial institutions. 

3 (6) Mobilizing and leveraging the participation 

4 of businesses, United States and international non5 governmental organizations, civil society, and public6 private partnerships. 

7 (7) Coordinating the goal of poverty reduction 

8 with other development goals, such as combating the 

9 spread of preventable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, 

10 tuberculosis, and malaria, increasing access to pota11 ble water and basic sanitation, reducing hunger and 

12 malnutrition, and improving access to and quality of 

13 education at all levels regardless of gender. 

14 (8) Integrating principles of sustainable devel15 opment into policies and programs. 

16 (d) REPORTS.— 

17 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

18 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

19 President, acting through the Secretary of State, 

20 shall transmit to the appropriate congressional com21 mittees a report that describes the strategy required 

22 by subsection (a). 

23 (2) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—Not less than 

24 once every two years after the submission of the ini25 tial report under paragraph (1) until and including 


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1 2015, the President shall transmit to the appro2 priate congressional committees a report on the sta3 tus of the implementation of the strategy, progress 

4 made in achieving the global poverty reduction objec5 tives described in subsection (a), and any changes to 

6 the strategy since the date of the submission of the 

7 last report. 

8 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT11 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com12 mittees’’ means— 

13 (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

14 the Committee on Appropriations of the House 

15 of Representatives; and 

16 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

17 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 

18 Senate. 

19 (2) EXTREME GLOBAL POVERTY.—The term 

20 ‘‘extreme global poverty’’ refers to the conditions in 

21 which individuals live on less than $1 per day, ad22 justed for purchasing power parity in 1993 United 

23 States dollars, according to World Bank statistics. 

24 (3) GLOBAL POVERTY.—The term ‘‘global pov25 erty’’ refers to the conditions in which individuals 


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1 live on less than $2 per day, adjusted for purchasing 

2 power parity in 1993 United States dollars, accord3 ing to World Bank statistics. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 

2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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