WHY YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS ALERT: 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: Please call your Senator and/or Representative today – 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:

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.

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

Email us at sdwpmail@usccb.org
Social Development and World Peace | 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington DC 20017-1194 | (202) 541-3180 © USCCB. All rights reserved.