Article Link: Coalition on Human Needs: Senate Attempt at Full-Year Appropriations Collapses

Senate Attempt at Full-Year Appropriations Collapses

Child Care, Head Start, Disabilities, and Housing Programs Likely to Suffer

There was an outside chance that Congress would be able to agree on a full-year appropriations bill during the waning days of its session. For parents needing help with child care or placing their children in Head Start, the outcome was very important. These programs are facing a significant loss of funding as the temporary increase provided by economic recovery legislation expires. An omnibus spending bill proposed by the Senate Appropriations Committee would have mitigated the loss of the temporary funding by increasing child care base dollars by $681 million and Head Start by $840 million over their FY 2010 levels.

via CHN: Senate Attempt at Full-Year Appropriations Collapses.

Good News

Flash Washington DC

The Senate passed the Kerry-Lugar amendment restoring funding to the International Affairs Budget.

See One Blog

Special Thanks to Senator Robert Casey of PA who was added as a co-sponsor of the amendment.

Urgent Action Call Congress!

The Senate is voting soon on an amendment to restore full funding to the International Affairs Budget. Four Billion dollars has been cut from this budget. Senators Kerry and Lugar have offerred an amendment to restore the funding.

For more info go here Results or here ONE.Org

It is hard to believe we can find billions for the rich that caused the problem and we want to take 4 billion from those most in need.

Advocacy Resources: Legislative Aids

Here are  a few  resources from severalsources which may be of help in public and foreign policy advocacy.

Mega Vote:  Track votes by members of Congress via email

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Federal Budget Process

Congressional Record at GPO Access

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process

Urgent Call Washington

On Tuesday next, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be conducting the confirmation hearings for Senator Hilary Clinton to be Secretary of State.  The One Campaign is urging its members to contact their Senators who are on the committe and urge them to ask questions related to global poverty and health issues. This is a good opportunity to ask her how she will respond to the conflict in the DR Congo as well.

If these are one of your Senators:

Sen. John Kerry (Massachusetts)
Sen. Chris Dodd (Connecticut)
Sen. Russ Feingold (Wisconsin)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (California)
Sen. Bill Nelson (Florida)
Sen. Robert Menendez (New Jersey)
Sen. Benjamin Cardin (Maryland)
Sen. Robert Casey (Pennsylvania)
Sen. Jim Webb (Virginia)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
Sen. Richard Lugar (Indiana)
Sen. Bob Corker (Tennessee)
Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Sen. Johnny Isakson (Georgia)

Go to the One page and learn how to contact them.  Call Now Please.

I also followed up my call to Senator Casey’s office with an email from his contact page.

S.3058 The Conflict Coltan and Cassiterite Act of 2008

This bill was not passed by the last session of Congress and was therefore cancelled. It will need to be reintroduced in this session. We will keep you updated on any news. Please write your Senator and urge them to reintroduce this bill.

An important piece of legislation is currently in the Finance Committee of the US Senate. This legislation has a direct bearing on the current conflict in the DRC. Much of the funding for the rebels, renegade army troops, and militias comes from the illegal mining of Coltan (columbite-tantalite) and Cassiterite (Tin). These ores are widely used in the electronics industry and used in cell-phones, computers etc.

Anyone who cares to see the fighting ended and peace restored to the DR Congo should write there senators and ask for them to co-sign this bill and help to bring it to the floor for a vote.

I imagine there will be strong opposition to this bill from the industries that benefit from using Coltan and Cassiterite.

I have include the full text of the bill as a page on my blog.

For more info on the bill:

Go here to track the bill.

PDF of the bill to download.

Library of Congress THOMAS page on the bill.

From Senator Brownback’s ( the bills sponsor) website,

Brownback, Durbin Introduce Conflict Mining Bill

Legislation would require certification of minerals mined in Congo

Friday, May 23, 2008

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Conflict Coltan and Cassiterite Act, legislation which would require certification of minerals imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We are witnessing a grave humanitarian crisis in Congo, and we must act now to put an end to the death and suffering,” said Brownback. “Everyday, Americans use products that have been manufactured using inhumanely mined minerals. The legislation introduced by Senator Durbin and I will bring accountability and transparency to the supply chain of minerals used in the manufacturing of many electronic devices.”

Every day in Congo, 1,500 people die as a direct or indirect result of the conflict over the mining of minerals like cassiterite and coltan; to date, the conflict has displaced more than 1.3 million Congolese and has resulted in over 5.4 million deaths.