Why Does Senator Conrad Want to Humiliate President Obama at the G-20 Summit?

The "One" campaign against global poverty reports:

The Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Senator Kent Conrad, wants to cut $4 billion from the president's International Affairs Budget -- the part of the budget funding almost all of our anti-poverty work.

This would be terrible policy any day of the week. Recall that on February 12, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told Congress that the global economic crisis was the most serious security challenge facing the United States and that it could topple governments and trigger waves of refugees. Cutting the International Affairs budget means directly attacking the Obama administration's ability to respond to the most serious security challenge facing the United States. In particular, the cut could lead to a freeze in programs that provide life-saving treatment for people with HIV/AIDS.

But attacking the International Affairs budget this week is particularly obscene. President Obama is leaving today for the G-20 "Economic Crisis Summit" in London. The top agenda item is how to counter the effects of the global economic crisis on countries that don't have the capacity to create their own economic stimulus. Cutting the president's international aid request this week will undercut President Obama at the very moment he will be trying to argue for a coordinated international response. Other countries will say: how can you ask us to do more when your Senate is slashing your proposed increase?

As President Obama said last summer:

I know development assistance is not the most popular of programs, but as president, I will make the case to the American people that it can be our best investment in increasing the common security of the entire world and increasing our own security," he said. "That's why I will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion by 2012 and use it to support a stable future in failing states and sustainable growth in Africa, to halve global poverty and to roll back disease.

Four billion dollars is about 1/40th of the amount of money that would be saved by implementing Rep Barney Frank's proposal to cut the U.S. military budget by 25%. Or, put another way, cutting the U.S. military budget by less than 1% would pay for restoring the president's increase in international development assistance.

Fortunately, other Senators are pushing back. Senators Kerry and Lugar have introduced an amendment to restore the president's request. Ask your senators to support the Kerry-Lugar Amendment which would restore the full $4 billion for international development assistance.

Comments

[JimR]

While I don't necessarily support this specific proposal, I do think we need to take a hard look at cutting foreign aid. So far, we've been spending, spending, spending like we have all the money in the world. Well, we don't. I'm still waiting for the president to use that scalpel on the budget, which he talked about frequently on the campaign trail.

[kasv]

Is Conrad one of Cheney's moles? How about Bayh and those "centrist" dems?

[research]

Didn't anyone tell him how the "Foreign Aid" Scam works?

We "give" money to countries in need,

IF they will buy American products with that money.

[JanusDaniels]

"Why Does Senator Conrad Want to Humiliate President Obama at the G-20 Summit?"
Why Does Senator Conrad Want to Humiliate THE UNITED STATES at the G-20 Summit?

[castlerider]

Thanks for your post.

I hope Conrad gets the news that you called him out on his idiotic legislation that takes away a potential to have influence in the world that in the not-so- long run brings us much more control and can save us from having to spend many times more in damages from having to be party to other's country's messes to having to deal with more lives destroyed by problems the likes of HiV / AIDS.

People like Conrad can't see past their own hillbilly problems, and need to be voted OUT!!!

.

[WinterParkMom]

It is absolutely amazing that after so many years of being under the Repub thumb, the democrats now have the power and are using it to screw everyone. These people are supposed to be democrats? They need to be voted out and get some real Democrats in there. Conrad needs to be stripped of whatever chairmanship he has.

[dwright]

On another post they are talking about Cheney having moles in the white house giving him information. Remember he is the grand puppet master and I wouldn't be surprised if he has trash on all of those folks that have been in DC forever and is using threats now. I really think if you have served more than 3 terms in the Senate you should go, if you have served more than 6 terms in the house you should go!! I am tired of life long politicians on both sides of the isle.

[SPQR1775]

Ken Conrad is a DINO (Democrat in Name Only); How about cutting the 3 billion in direct dollars to Israel and another 30 Billion in Military Aid. It is time for Americans to dictate what our money must be used for by foreign goverments. I did not hear Conrad or any other DINO's balk at Bush. Is Konrad in the pocket of Dick Cheney? I guess he is! VOTE THESE DINOS OUT IN 2010!

[SeymourButz]

Conrad was one of Obama's earliest supporters.

[mg moore]

Kent Conrad is a democrat! What do the Republicans or Bush have to do with it?

[chibbles]

Everyday the insensitivity and mean spirited attitudes of the Right Wing becomes more and more evident. I'm sorry I ever voted for Republican. Never again. I have Marsha Blackburns e-mail and office phone number saved. She will be hearing from me.

[grateful4thedead]

this is clearly bush's doing and his fault.

[GreatNews27]

Uh, because he feels that Obama is getting uppity.

[SeymourButz]

Conrad was one of Obama's earliest supporters.