The Huffington Post published an article titled “Aid Reform Within Reach: Time for the President to Lead,” which discusses the advancing possibility of fundamental aid reform, something that has not occurred since the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, “despite various attempts and a vastly changing world.” The article urges the current administration to take a leadership role at this critical point in defining how the United States delivers its foreign assistance, so that the most value is obtained from each dollar.

Centered on the fight against global poverty, The US’s approach to development from a policy point of view is a sound one. It has prioritized international development as a national strategy and has recently designed well constructed food and health initiatives. Dr. Rajiv Shah, has also made promising changes at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). However, the logistical side of translating policy into action has seen less progress. It is well known that multiple agencies implementing parallel or inconsistent programs is not effective and assistance programs need more transparency and accountability. It is also clear that the legislation behind our foreign assistance system “a 500-page Cold War-era statue, lacks clear goals and objectives and is bursting at the seems with outdated, overlapping, and duplicative and conflicting provisions.”

Recent progress has been generated, as seen through the President’s endorsement of “A New Approach to Development,” one of the most noteworthy declarations about US development efforts since the Foreign Assistance Act. Furthermore, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman put forth a working draft of the FAA, which, if passed would significantly reconstruct US foreign assistance.

There are three steps that the President should take immediately in order to build on the recent progress that has been and overcome bureaucratic delays. First, he pursue the vision described in the G8 statement to create the country’s first Global Development Strategy to be ready for the Millennium Development Goals Summit in September in order to grasp the attention of the world. There are two issues at the center of the current debate. “Is achieving broad-based, sustainable development a goal in itself for U.S. global engagement, or is it merely a tool for diplomatic or defensive objectives? Furthermore, will development experts, rather than diplomats or soldiers, have the authority and resources to lead our foreign aid programs?”

He should also let it be known that he is prepared and willing to work with Congress on foreign aid reform without delay. Third, he must enable USAID with authority and the necessary tools to work collaboratively with the State Department and other agencies. The President must move decisively to restore US leadership to development to strengthen the efforts to end global poverty, ensure child survival, increase access to clean water and fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations completed its mark-up on the FY 2011 appropriations bill that includes U.S. funding for global health. 

The committee has proposed funding U.S. bilateral malaria programs for 2011 in the amount of $615 million.  This represents an additional $30 million over the current funding levels, but it is $65 million below the President’s request. 

For the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund, the committee appropriated $825 million for 2011.  This represents $125 boost over the president’s request and $75 million over current year funding.

There are still several steps to go in the appropriations process, but this is indication of where policy makers are on funding levels for the next fiscal year.

Congress continues to demonstrate leadership on fighting malaria by ensuring that resources will be aimed at saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations – women and children and in Africa.

The Policy Center will continue to provide updates as Congress continues its work for Fiscal Year 2011.

In a few hours, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, will hold a “mark-up” on its FY2011 funding bill.  This is the first tangible step in Congress’s decision-making process for U.S. funding for all our State Department and foreign assistance programs across the globe. 

A “mark-up” is the process in which a committee – or this case subcommittee – meets and actually writes legislation.  The committee has an underlying bill that members debate and amend.  Committee members take votes (sometimes by voice, sometimes by roll call) approving and disapproving amendments, and then the overall measure.  This is the first step in a long process, but it’s an important one that lays the groundwork for any bill to move through Congress.

The bill which they will consider and likely pass today,  is expected to be at least $4 billion less than what President Obama has proposed in his budget.  The Policy Center will be monitoring the outcome of this markup closely and will provide analysis in the following weeks.

In the natural course of how Congress works, the next step once the subcommittee passes the bill, is consideration by the full Appropriations Committee and then to the floor of the House of Representatives.  The Senate has a similar process, and as of now, it’s likely they will “mark-up” their version of the foreign operations spending bill sometime in July.  The Senate has a similar committee process for getting a bill to the Senate floor.  After both the House and Senate have approved their seperate measures, leaders from the two Houses meet to hammer out the differences.  Finally, the agreed upon language/funding amounts are made into a final bill which is then taken back to the floor of the House and the floor of the Senate, debated, passed, and then sent to the President where he will either sign it, or veto the measure.

So the long process has just begun and again, we’ll be following the process closely and providing our readers with updates along the way.

Congressman William Delahunt announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2010.  Congressman Delahunt has represented the tenth Congressional district of Massachusetts since 1997.   He serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Commitee. 

The Congressman was also a member of the Congressional Malaria Caucus and a strong voice for malaria issues on Capitol Hill.

The Malaria Policy Center thanks him for his distinguised service to the American people, the people of Massachusetts and the cause of malaria.

News today from Michigan Congressman and member of the Congressional Malaria Caucus, Vern Ehlers is planning to retire after his term expires in January of 2011.

The Malaria Policy Center honors Congressman Ehlers for his 16 years of service in the United States House of Representatives and his membership in the Congressional Malaria Caucus. In a season full of tough decisions for Congress, Rep. Ehlers has maintained his strong work ethic and his passion in representing Grand Rapids, Michigan. We wish him the best and believe Washington will miss its research physicist in the next Congress.

A Conference Committee made up of members from both the Senate and House of Representatives has issued its report on appropriations for State and Foreign Operations this past Thursday.  The resulting vote on the committee report passed the House of Representatives Thursday night and the Senate over the weekend.

The funding levels for Global Health at large and malaria in particular, have been announced.  $585 million was appropriated for bi-lateral assistance for malaria.  An additional 1.05 billion dollars was appropriated for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  Full details on funding can be found below.

Appropriations bills for malaria and other global health issues were passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier this year, but the levels of funding were at different numbers in each version passed. As a result, these differences were resolved in a Conference Committee composed of members of both the House and the Senate. 

The Malaria Policy Center applauds both President Obama and Congress’s leadership on malaria.  Their support for malaria funding demonstrates the United State’s commitment to saving lives across the globe from a preventable disease.  Indeed, the decision of Congress and President Obama to fund bi-lateral malaria assistance shows how serious they are in protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable people from the devastation of malaria. 

In order to help in the fight against malaria and achieve the first great humanitarian victory of this century by ending malaria deaths, Representatives Dan Burton, Bob Inglis, Michael McCaul and Mike Pence recently announced that they are joining the Congressional Malaria Caucus. 

The Malaria Policy Center welcomes these Congressional champions and looks forward to assisting them in our great unified cause of stopping a disease that disproportionally affects the most vulnerable populations around the world.

Malaria received $585 Million at the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations bill markup on June 17th.  Essentially, this represents a good start. 

The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) expected to receive $500 Million in 2010 and it appears that we have reached that threshold.  This increase of roughly $200 Million represents an approximate increase of 36% in malaria funding and it lines up with what the President asked for in his budget request.

This demonstrates solid commitment on the part of the White House and Congress for malaria and in this economic climate should be viewed as a positive.  This does not include any money malaria would receive from the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.  

The next steps are for funding to be approved by the full Appropriations Committee and then the Senate will also have a run at State and Foreign Operations Funding.  Finally, the Appropriations bill will go to a conference to work out any differences between the House and the Senate. 

However, the Global Fund received $700 Million in funding, that represents a lower figure than what was expected (the expectation was $900 Million). Obviously, this is a disappointment, but work is already underway to increase the level of funding in the Senate.  Additionally, we expect another $300 Million from the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. 

Also, the war supplemental, which includes $100m for the Global Fund, just passed the Senate – which was the last hurdle for the bill.  This enables the U.S. to go to the G8 with this under its belt to encourage the other countries to step up, as well.

New evidence that malaria cases are on the rise in Uganda simply reminds us that malaria is not taking a vacation as we determine how to fund the programs that fight the disease.

We have the tools to end malaria deaths, insecticide treated bed nets, targeted spraying and new medicines, and we must ensure that these tools are put into place and used.

As Congress continues to debate funding of programs that are doing just that, Americans need to stand up and remind our elected leaders that we can end malaria and should lead the world in efforts to do it.

Rep. Jane Harman

Representative Jane Harman has joined the Congressional Malaria Caucus.  This brings the total number of Congressional members in the caucus to 54. 

Rep. Harman has represented California’s 36th Congressional district in Los Angeles’ South Bay since 1992.  She sits on the Committee on Homeland Security and Chairs the Intelligence Subcommitee.  She also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee. 

A product of Los Angeles public schools, Harman is a graduate of Smith College and Harvard Law School.  Prior to serving in Congress, she was a top aide in the United States Senate, Deputy Cabinet Secretary to President Jimmy Carter, Special Counsel to the Department of Defense, and in private law practice.  Married for almost three decades to Sidney Harman, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries, she has four adult children and three grandchildren.

“We’re immensely pleased that Rep. Jane Harman is joining the Congressional Malaria Caucus.” said Mark Green, Director of the Malaria Policy Center.  “She’s a well-repected leader in Congress and will make a real difference.”  It is leaders like this that will help in achieving the goal of achieving an end to malaria deaths.