InterAction Press Releases
Recent releases are listed below. Subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive updates on upcoming InterAction events, statements, advisories and more.
WASHINGTON (Aug. 1, 2013) – NGO alliance InterAction welcomes the reintroduction of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013 today in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation would take steps to ensure critical U.S. investments in water, sanitation and hygiene education target communities and countries most in need, without increasing funds or red tape.
WASHINGTON (July 25, 2013) – InterAction welcomes the bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate for funding of vital poverty-focused accounts, and applauds the continued leadership of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPs) Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in prioritizing support for vital international development and humanitarian assistance.
The House Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations on Friday voted for only $40.6 billion in funding for fiscal year 2014, effectively gutting spending for key international programs that seek to help people lift themselves out of extreme poverty. The cuts spelled out in the 2014 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act are so severe they could roll back significant gains if adopted by the full Congress, NGO alliance InterAction warned.x
NGO alliance InterAction announced the appointment of seven new members to its board of directors, along with a new chair, Mercy Corps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer. Save the Children President and CEO Carolyn Miles takes over as vice chair.
NGO alliance InterAction applauds Reps. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) for introducing the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013 (H.R. 2638/S. 1271) today. This important legislation would take several critical steps toward improving the way U.S. foreign assistance programs are conducted and monitored, the alliance said.
WASHINGTON (June 21, 2013) – Leading NGO alliance InterAction this week welcomed the U.S. Senate appropriations committee’s strong proposed funding level for State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPs) for fiscal year (FY) 2014, an account that funds vital anti-poverty programs and humanitarian aid. The committee, in its 302 (b) allocations released Thursday, approved a base funding level of $44.1 billion for SFOPs, as well as $6.5 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The Senate base funding level was 29% higher than the House Appropriations Committee allocation of $34.1 billion for FY2014, and 11% higher than current FY2013 funding post-sequestration. “The Senate’s proposed funding level better reflects our values as Americans and a deep commitment to helping the world’s most poor and vulnerable. Currently, 42.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by conflict or disaster. This staggering number will only increase as the crises in Syria and other hotspots continue to escalate. U.S. foreign assistance provides lifesaving services to these people as well as support for longer term development programs that help people pull themselves out of poverty – all for less than 1% of our federal budget,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction. “I look forward to working with congressional leaders as they continue to develop their FY2014 funding bills, so we can make the kinds of investments to fight poverty that save lives and help people create a sound future for themselves and their nations.”
WASHINGTON (June 20, 2013) – This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-2 in InterAction’s favor in the case of USAID v AOSI. This case, in which InterAction is a co-plaintiff, challenged a 2003 law that requires all groups receiving U.S government funds for international HIV and AIDS work to have “a policy explicitly opposing prostitution.”“This is a major legal victory. We are thrilled that the Supreme Court upheld by 6-2 that a U.S. government policy requirement is unconstitutional because it violates Americans’ right to free speech. This ruling means that the government cannot force groups to embrace their political views as a requirement for funding,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.Other co-plaintiffs in the case are the Alliance for Open Society International, Pathfinder International and the Global Health Council. Ten amicus briefs were submitted in support of the respondents, spanning progressive and conservative voices.The policy requirement affected the ability to provide life-saving health services to vulnerable populations in the fight against HIV and AIDS and prevented NGOs from speaking freely in the important debate over how best to prevent the spread of the disease.“While we agree that the government can say how it wants its money spent, this requirement went far beyond that by shutting down research and debate on important topics. We are heartened by the Supreme Court’s strong support for our position and are ready to continue our partnership with the U.S. government to save lives,” said Worthington.“If it had been implemented, this requirement would have opened the door to government restrictions and regulation of funds that InterAction members raise privately from the generous American public. Thankfully, that will not happen. Justice Roberts made very clear that the policy requirement violated the First Amendment which we hold so dear,” added Worthington.Attorneys from the international law firm WilmerHale represented the plaintiffs in the case, which was argued before the court on April 22. For more information about the case, including a timeline and court filings and documents, visit www.pledgechallenge.org.
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-2 in InterAction’s favor in the case of USAID v AOSI. This case, in which InterAction is a co-plaintiff, challenged a 2003 law that requires all groups receiving U.S government funds for international HIV and AIDS work to have “a policy explicitly opposing prostitution.”
Today is World Refugee Day, but there is little cause for celebration as the UN Refugee Agency estimates the number of forcibly displaced people to be the highest in nearly two decades, totaling 45.2 million people.
WASHINGTON (June 19, 2013) – NGO alliance InterAction released the following statement on Amendment No. 55 to H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM Act), which was defeated 220 to 203 in a House of Representatives vote.“We are deeply disappointed that the House of Representatives failed to pass this amendment and make common-sense improvements to our international food aid system,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction. “This was a missed opportunity that has consequences for families in crises now and in the future. The reforms proposed would have enabled us to better respond in a crisis, when what matters most is helping people who are suffering. This amendment was needed now more than ever, when more people are displaced from their homes than at any other time in the past 18 years.“Despite this setback, we will continue to fight for food aid reform, which in only a few months has become a top congressional priority with bipartisan support. We look forward to working with Congresson this, and thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership.”The amendment was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY). This bipartisan amendment would have made common-sense reforms that would have provided much needed flexibility to the Food for Peace program, which has helped feed more than 3 billion people in more than 150 countries over the last 60 years.
