The mailing says a week after the Republican takeover in Congress, the Senator responsible for appropriating U.S. foreign aid, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, took aim at the meager $800 million U.S. development budget for Africa. The mailing says last week McConnell made good on his threat to target U.S. aid to the world's poorest continent, introducing legislation to abolish the Development Fund for Africa (DFA), the program that guarantees Africa at least a small portion of overall U.S. foreign aid. The mailing says without the protection of the DFA, Congressional conservatives are certain to slash the money Africa desperately needs for schools and hospitals, immunizations and clean...
The mailing says a week after the Republican takeover in Congress, the Senator responsible for appropriating U.S. foreign aid, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, took aim at the meager $800 million U.S. development budget for Africa. The mailing says last week McConnell made good on his threat to target U.S. aid to the world's poorest continent, introducing legislation to abolish the Development Fund for Africa (DFA), the program that guarantees Africa at least a small portion of overall U.S. foreign aid. The mailing says without the protection of the DFA, Congressional conservatives are certain to slash the money Africa desperately needs for schools and hospitals, immunizations and clean water; helping African countries build a strong economic foundation for their new, often fragile democracies makes good political and financial sense; disaster relief is always much more expensive than development aid, and does nothing to attack the root causes of poverty, hunger and political instability; U.S. dollars spent early and wisely can prevent the tragedy of starving children and broken societies before it happens. Put simply, development aid is money well spent. The mailing says write Senator Mitch McConnell and his House counterpart, Rep. Sonny Callahan early in the New Year; urge them to keep the Development Fund for Africa and ensure that America offers a hand up to African leaders working for peace, democracy and prosperity. The mailing says forward copies of your letters to The Africa Fund; we will share them with the Congressional Black Caucus Chair Donald Payne and other key Congressional leaders. The mailing discusses the Subcommittee on International Operations, the Congressional Black Caucus (CB), the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives.
