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Congress should schedule vote on Millennium Challenge Accounts

An Action Alert from the USCCB

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House International Relations Committee have reported authorizing legislation for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) to the full House and Senate. House appropriations members have indicated they will will not appropriate money unless the MCA authorizing bill has been enacted. House and Senate Leadership are crucial to scheduling the debate and a vote.

BACKGROUND: As envisioned, the MCA would increase U.S. development assistance by 50 percent over current spending levels. The MCA would also impose strict eligibility standards for this new money, requiring countries to demonstrate good governance, investment in people and economic freedom. Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcome this new initiative and applaud the Senate Foreign Relations and the House International Relations Committees for their work to craft authorizing legislation that includes key principles for effective development.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Call your Senator and/or Representative—their contact information provided below—and urge them to ensure that the MCA legislation, S. 1160 in the Senate and H.R. 2441 in the House, be brought before the full Senate and House for a vote and to ensure that this legislation include the following important provisions, expanded on in USCCB and CRS Foreign Aid Testimony, April 2, 2003:

MCA funding should be in addition to existing programs. Funding provided for the MCA must be in addition to core development programs. Significant funding increases for important existing development programs will be needed for the vast majority of very poor countries that will not qualify for the MCA, now or in the foreseeable future. Remind them that the MCA should be considered as one tool in a broader, more comprehensive approach to U.S. foreign assistance.

The MCA should target the world’s poorest countries to receive funds. U.S. assistance to the poorest countries is limited to only about 20 percent of all U.S.-funded development assistance. MCA funding would most effectively reduce global poverty if it targets low-income countries with extremely limited access to other funding.

The MCA should allow the participation of as many deserving nations as possible by establishing a strong “second tier” class of eligible countries. A substantial number of very poor qualified countries with large unmet needs, particularly in Africa, will be ineligible to access MCA funds under the President’s proposal. A “second tier” composed of the substantial number of countries which meet most, although not all, of the Administration's eligibility criteria should be established. At least one-third of MCA funds should be allocated to the second tier countries beginning in FY 2005. MCA funds would be used for priority development activities, including, in the case of second tier countries, funding to assist them to qualify for the first tier.

The MCA should increase transparency and the level and quality of civil participation. To ensure that MCA funds are efficiently utilized, local civil society organizations and international private voluntary organizations which partner locally should have direct access to funding under the program.

For more information contact:
Tina Rodousakis, CRS/Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462.

Kathy Brown, CRS/Community Engagement Director, 1-800-235-2772 x 7232, .

Kelly Hicks, Policy Advisor, USCCB/SWDP, 202-541-3153.

Congressional Targets Contact Information

Please make sure that you ask for the members’ CHIEF OF STAFF or LEGISLATIVE AIDE responsible for foreign policy issues when making your call.

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN)
Email: http://frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Phone: (202) 224-3344
Fax: (202) 228-1264

MINORITY LEADER SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD)
Email: http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html
Phone: 1-800-424-9094 or (202) 224-2321
Fax: (202) 224-6603

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IN))
CHAIRMAN
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Email: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-4814
Fax: (202) 228-0360

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE)
RANKING MEMBER
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Email: senator@biden.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-5042
Fax: (202) 224-0139

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DENNIS HASTERT, HOUSE SPEAKER (R-IL, 14TH)
Phone: (202) 225-2976; Fax: (202) 225-0697
Email: dhastert@mail.house.gov

TOM DELAY, HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER (R-TX, 22ND)
Phone: (202) 225-5951; Fax: (202) 225-5241
Email: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

NANCY PELOSI, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER (D-CA, 8TH)
Phone: (202) 225-4965; Fax: (202) 225-8259
Email: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

STENY HOYER, MINORITY WHIP, (D-MD, 5TH)
Phone: (202) 225-4131; Fax: (202) 225-4300
Email: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

HENRY HYDE, CHAIRMAN (R-IL, 6TH)
House International Relations Committee
Phone: (202) 225-4561; Fax: (202) 225-1166
Email: http://www.house.gov/hyde/get_address2.htm

TOM LANTOS, RANKING MEMBER, (D-CA, 12TH)
House International Relations Committee
Phone: (202) 225-3531; Fax: (202) 226-9789
Email: http://www.house.gov/lantos

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