Thomas E. Petri: “I rise in support of the Hyde/Lantos amendment, which would authorize the establishment of the Millennium Challenge…”

“I rise in support of the Hyde/Lantos amendment, which would authorize the establishment of the Millennium Challenge Account and support the doubling of the number of Peace Corps volunteers to 14,000 by the year 2007. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Somalia for two years, which was a meaningful experience for me. The Peace Corps has proven to be a very cost-effective mechanism for disseminating foreign assistance-- from the bottom up. Doubling the number of Peace Corps volunteers will only make these efforts more effective, and allow more U.S. citizens to serve our country on the international level. The Hyde/Lantos amendment also provides for the establishment of a new and innovative foreign aid initiative, the Millennium Challenge Account. This initiative shows great promise as it would fund programs which already have shown impressive rates of performance. U.S. foreign aid would then be invested in those programs that actually work, not just those that promise to work. Expanding the Peace Corps and establishing the Millennium Challenge Account will make U.S. foreign aid more accountable and effective. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.”