Grassfire Backgrounder:

Obama’s Plan Will Result in Billions of Dollars to the U.N. in a Global Poverty Tax

Bill Status:
Name: The Global Poverty Act of 2007 (S.2433 & H.R. 1302)
The bill has passed the house and passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The full Senate will vote on this bill soon. Official Text

Summary Information:

This bill introduced by presidential candidate Barack Obama requires 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 Millenium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

If passed, this bill will further commit the United States to the key Millennium Development Goal outlined in the U.N. Millennium Summit and require the President to implement a strategy to meet those goals. This bill will likely be used as authorization/justification for the U.S. to commit .7% of our GDP toward reducing poverty -- the commitment outlined for developed nations in the MIllennium Development Goals which amounts to a Global Poverty Tax. When the arithmetic is finished, the United States could be spending an additional $845 billion on foreign aid. The Global Poverty Act will lead to a significantly increased commitment by the United States of American taxpayer money to the United Nations.

In 2000, the United States joined over 180 countries at the United Nation’s Millennium Summit and promised to reduce global poverty by 2015. The Global Poverty Act was created to aid the United Nations in its Millennium Development goals. The bill has defined these goals as the goals set out in the declaration given by the United Nations. The problem is that these goals care not only about poverty stricken and starving children. The United Nations Millennium goals also seek to commit the United States to ban small arms and weapons, ratify treaties such as the International Criminal Court treaty, the Kyoto protocol, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (the elimination of all discrimination against women). More Here

The Global Poverty Act:

• Declares it official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme global poverty in half by 2015.
  
• Requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out that policy.
  
• Includes guidelines for what the strategy should include - from aid, trade, and debt relief, to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs, to ensuring environmental sustainability.
  
• Requires that the President's strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables.
  
• Requires the President to report back to Congress on progress made in the implementation of the global poverty strategy.

The Global Poverty Act is supported by liberal organizations such as:

Bread for the World, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, CARE, Oxfam America, Habitat for Humanity International, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, United Church of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Borgen Project, United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, RESULTS, Micah Challenge USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. More Here

Grassfire’s Position
Barack Obama’s Global Poverty Act of 2007 offers a clear example of his foreign policy. If Sen. Obama should become president, the Global Poverty Act is just a sign of what more is to come. "With billions of people living on just dollars a day around the world, global poverty remains one of the greatest challenges and tragedies the international community faces," said Senator Obama. "It must be a priority of American foreign policy to commit to eliminating extreme poverty and ensuring every child has food, shelter, and clean drinking water. As we strive to rebuild America's standing in the world, this important bill will demonstrate our promise and commitment to those in the developing world. Our commitment to the global economy must extend beyond trade agreements that are more about increasing corporate profits than about helping workers and small farmers everywhere." More Here

This bill is just the tip of Obama’s iceberg. His foreign policy consists of blaming the United States for the problems of the world and apologizing for being a powerful and prosperous nation. Obama’s answers for stopping terrorism and “restoring” America’s reputation include dishing out tax payer money to the United Nations and carrying out the vision of the United Nations.

The goals of the United Nations undermine America’s Sovereignty and the United States Constitution. What is good for the United Nations is not always best for the United States.

4/30/08 UPDATE!!!  

The Global Poverty Act of 2007 is alive and the Democratic Majority is trying to pass it under the radar! The House version of the act, H.R. 1302, passed the House by voice vote on September 26, 2007. The Senate version of the bill, S.2433, just passed the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on 4/24/08. What's next? The bill must be passed by the full Senate before it gets to President Bush.

When will the full Senate vote take place? Only Harry Reid knows the answer to this question. The liberal left and the religious left want this bill passed quickly and quietly, while the conservatives are fighting to stop this irresponsible use of taxpayer money. Currently,  conservative Senators have put a hold on the bill; but this is only a delaying tactic. Extensive and public debate must take place in the Senate for the truth about this bill to come out. This vote could take place tomorrow or in two months.

Why is the debate in the Senate so important?  President Bush and the "compassionate conservatives" have spent more money on AIDS funding and foreign aid than any other President. If this bill reaches his desk, he may sign it into law. And with that, every taxpayer's wallet will be held accountable to the United Nations.

At this time of economic uncertainity, it is imperative that the United States gets its own house in order before trying to meet the goals of the United Nations.

More Resources

Accuracy in Media
Glenn Beck

American Thinker

GovTrack.us

Barack Obama Press Release