WASHINGTON, D.C.— Introduced to the House of Representatives in February of this year, H.Res.87 expresses the agreement throughout the House of Representatives that global poverty should remain a key issue within foreign and domestic policy as well as push President Donald Trump to enact a Global Marshall Plan to help with the alleviation of poverty worldwide.

The H.Res.87 Global Marshall Plan “holds the potential to demonstrate the commitment of the United States to peace and prosperity through poverty reduction in the United States and abroad.” Such a plan would include providing foreign aid aimed specifically at combating global poverty issues.

As outlined in the resolution, increased funding throughout the globe is intended to “eliminate poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education and health care domestically and globally in addition to restoring the global environment.”

The H.Res.87 Global Marshall Plan also revises existing trade agreements to favor improving the lives of the poor and provide training in nonviolent communication, diversity, sustainability, family practices and dietary habits to individuals around the world.

The House of Representatives feels that such a plan would affirm the commitment of the United States in the fight against global poverty and solidify its place as a leading nation in foreign assistance. “Empowering people in the United States and abroad to support themselves will provide a solid foundation for global economic recovery,” the bill states.

The World Bank reported that roughly eleven percent of the world’s population, 767,000,000 people, live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day. In 2015, the United States joined more than 180 countries in committing to work toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, outlined by the United Nations, to end poverty, fight inequalities and address climate change by 2030.

The H.Res.87 Global Marshall Plan has since been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill was originally introduced by Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison [D-MN-5], who has championed similar domestic and foreign assistance bills in the past aimed at eliminating poverty both nationally and globally.

The current H.Res.87 Global Marshall Plan is modeled after the United States’ program to provide for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II, named after General George C. Marshall and commonly known as the “Marshall Plan”.

By providing foreign assistance to Europe, the United States quantified a direct relationship between economic growth and stability. The Marshall Plan provided a foundation for international cooperation by demonstrating the foreign responsibility of the United States.

– Riley Bunch

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