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U.S. HOUSE RESOLUTION: BIPARTISAN APPLAUSE FOR THE IAF
News Releases - 11/12/2009
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ARLINGTON, Va. —In a resolution that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support on Nov.4, the United States House of Representatives congratulated the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) on its 40th anniversary and recognized the effectiveness of its model for channeling U.S. foreign assistance to the grassroots.
House Resolution 858 was introduced by Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), the subcommittee’s ranking member, and it received a vote of 405-1. The resolution’s 29 cosponsors included Chairman Howard Berman (D-Calif.) of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the committee’s ranking member.
Speaking on the House floor, Engel called the IAF “a vital component” of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S. development agenda in the Americas. As examples of the significant impact of the IAF’s modest investments of U.S. taxpayer dollars in grassroots efforts, the congressman cited two IAF grantees that he had visited in Ecuador, one that extends microcredit to women and the other that focuses on food security and the sound management of natural resources. “The IAF's work does not simply provide tangible benefits to the poor. It is also extremely useful in maintaining a positive United States presence in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the minority caucus, Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) praised the IAF for emphasizing development through self-help. “Empowering people to take control of their own future, allowing parents to provide for their families, supporting communities to strengthen stability and prosperity, these are the keystones for strengthening democracy in the region,” Poe said.
The Inter-American Foundation, an independent foreign assistance agency of the United States government, furthers grassroots development by awarding grants directly to the organized poor in Latin America and the Caribbean and the groups that support their efforts. Since beginning operations in 1971, the IAF has made nearly 5,000 grants totaling nearly $650 million. Together, the IAF and its grantees have worked to improve the conditions of hundreds of thousands of families in communities throughout the hemisphere.
For more about the IAF, visit www.iaf.gov.
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For more details, call 703-306-4337 or e-mail mfletcher@iaf.gov.
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