Barack Obama and the Millennium Development Goals
Barack Obama has been one of the strongest advocates for the
Millennium Development Goals. Below are highlights of his role:
" 'In the 21st century, progress must mean more than a vote at the
ballot box – it must mean freedom from fear and freedom from want.
We cannot stand for the freedom of anarchy. Nor can we support the
globalization of the empty stomach. We need new approaches to help
people to help themselves. The United Nations has embraced the
Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half
by 2015. When I'm president, they will be America's goals.' --
Barack Obama, Chicago, October 2, 2007" (Obama, 2009)
"The United Nations (UN) has embraced the Millennium Development
Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. The Bush
administration tried to keep the UN from affirming these goals. In the
Senate, Obama co-sponsored the International Cooperation to Meet
the Millennium Development Goals Act. Barack Obama and Joe Biden
will target new U.S. assistance to help the world's weakest states to
build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop
markets, and generate wealth. They will also work to ensure that
increases in U.S. assistance are matched by our partners in the G-8 so
that developed countries truly live up to their stated commitments."
(Obama, 2009a)
"Some of the particulars of his policy to achieve the MDGs include:
• Doubling annual foreign assistance from $25 billion to $50 billion.
• Signing the Education for All Act and requesting the funding needed
to fulfill our share of the $10 billion needed annually to put 100 million
children in school.
• Lifting the 33% cap on US contributions to the Global Fund, ensuring
that at least 4.5 million people are on ARV treatment by 2013, and
preventing 12 million new infections.
• Building on the $1 billion per year commitment to malaria in the recent
PEPFAR reauthorization, dramatically expanding access to mosquito
nets, and expanding access to treat people who get malaria.
• Halving the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and
suffering from hunger by 2012." (Sharma, 2008)
Bills Sponsored or Co-sponsored in the US Senate by Obama
relating to the MDGs.
109th Congress
S 1315 - International Cooperation to Meet the Millennium
Development Goals Act of 2005 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To require a report on progress toward the Millennium
Development Goals , and for other purposes."
S 1320 - Multilateral Debt Relief Act of 2005 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide multilateral debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted
Poor Countries, and for other purposes"
110th Congress
S 2433 - Global Poverty Act of 2007 (Sponsor)
A Bill "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 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."
S 1418 - United States Commitment to Global Child Survival Act of
2007 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide assistance to improve the health of newborns,
children, and mothers in developing countries, and for other purposes"
S 2166 - Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt
Cancellation of 2008 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide for greater responsibility in lending and expanded
cancellation of debts owed to the United States and the international
financial institutions by low-income countries, and for other purposes."
S 805 - African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to assist countries
in sub-Saharan Africa in the effort to achieve internationally recognized
goals in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other major
diseases and the reduction of maternal and child mortality by improving
human health care capacity and improving retention of medical health
professionals in sub-Saharan Africa, and for other purposes."
S 2731 - Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global
Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Reauthorization Act of 2008
A Bill "To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013
to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, and malaria, and for other purposes."
Barack Obama has been one of the strongest advocates for the
Millennium Development Goals. Below are highlights of his role:
" 'In the 21st century, progress must mean more than a vote at the
ballot box – it must mean freedom from fear and freedom from want.
We cannot stand for the freedom of anarchy. Nor can we support the
globalization of the empty stomach. We need new approaches to help
people to help themselves. The United Nations has embraced the
Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half
by 2015. When I'm president, they will be America's goals.' --
Barack Obama, Chicago, October 2, 2007" (Obama, 2009)
"The United Nations (UN) has embraced the Millennium Development
Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. The Bush
administration tried to keep the UN from affirming these goals. In the
Senate, Obama co-sponsored the International Cooperation to Meet
the Millennium Development Goals Act. Barack Obama and Joe Biden
will target new U.S. assistance to help the world's weakest states to
build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop
markets, and generate wealth. They will also work to ensure that
increases in U.S. assistance are matched by our partners in the G-8 so
that developed countries truly live up to their stated commitments."
(Obama, 2009a)
"Some of the particulars of his policy to achieve the MDGs include:
• Doubling annual foreign assistance from $25 billion to $50 billion.
• Signing the Education for All Act and requesting the funding needed
to fulfill our share of the $10 billion needed annually to put 100 million
children in school.
• Lifting the 33% cap on US contributions to the Global Fund, ensuring
that at least 4.5 million people are on ARV treatment by 2013, and
preventing 12 million new infections.
• Building on the $1 billion per year commitment to malaria in the recent
PEPFAR reauthorization, dramatically expanding access to mosquito
nets, and expanding access to treat people who get malaria.
• Halving the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and
suffering from hunger by 2012." (Sharma, 2008)
Bills Sponsored or Co-sponsored in the US Senate by Obama
relating to the MDGs.
109th Congress
S 1315 - International Cooperation to Meet the Millennium
Development Goals Act of 2005 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To require a report on progress toward the Millennium
Development Goals , and for other purposes."
S 1320 - Multilateral Debt Relief Act of 2005 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide multilateral debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted
Poor Countries, and for other purposes"
110th Congress
S 2433 - Global Poverty Act of 2007 (Sponsor)
A Bill "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 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."
S 1418 - United States Commitment to Global Child Survival Act of
2007 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide assistance to improve the health of newborns,
children, and mothers in developing countries, and for other purposes"
S 2166 - Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt
Cancellation of 2008 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To provide for greater responsibility in lending and expanded
cancellation of debts owed to the United States and the international
financial institutions by low-income countries, and for other purposes."
S 805 - African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 (Co-sponsor)
A Bill "To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to assist countries
in sub-Saharan Africa in the effort to achieve internationally recognized
goals in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other major
diseases and the reduction of maternal and child mortality by improving
human health care capacity and improving retention of medical health
professionals in sub-Saharan Africa, and for other purposes."
S 2731 - Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global
Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Reauthorization Act of 2008
A Bill "To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013
to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, and malaria, and for other purposes."