Timothy Roemer: “last week U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Irish rock star Bono on a tour of Africa called attention to the need…”

“last week U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Irish rock star Bono on a tour of Africa called attention to the need for international development to alleviate world poverty and suffering. As their trip demonstrated, impoverished communities in the Third World will benefit greatly from an increase in U.S. foreign aid funding toward programs that can maintain stable accountability measures. Now more than ever, Congress must achieve a bipartisan compromise in enacting new and innovative foreign aid programs that effectively meet the needs of impoverished people throughout the world. Microenterprise, the lending of very small loans to the world's poorest people that serve to start and expand small business typically in amounts as low as $100, is a U.S. foreign aid program that fosters hope and opportunity, and counters the fear and desperation that is exploited among the masses of unemployed and impoverished people around the world by terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda. The war on terrorism will not be won by satellites and soldiers alone; our arsenal must include humanitarian assistance that promotes freedom and opportunity for the world's poorest people. Undeniably, microenterprise programs fulfill this role in the developing world. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to voice my strong support for H.R. 4073, a bipartisan bill that increases funding for microenterprise programs.”