Senate Bill 2433

By Kyle-Anne Shiver and Lee Cary

While the Global Poverty Act of 2007 could come up for a vote in the Senate at any time, the good news is that its huge potential price tag would require, it seems, further legislative action if it passes the Senate in its current form.

In earlier posts, this bill has been brought to American Thinker readers' attention. Recently, you may have read that it could come before the Senate for a vote at any time after the 4^th of July recess.

The good news is that, according to Christopher Schell, Foreign Affair Legislative Assistant in the office of Congressman Ralph Hall (4^th Dist. R-TX), "the Congressional Budget Office did not score the bill." That means there's no specific price tag attached to HR 1302, the House version of the bill. Its general intent is to involve the U.S. in promoting the reduction of global poverty. In citizen terms, it's a feel-good piece of legislation with no funding allocated at this point. Dollars would have to come later through appropriation committees action.

But that's no reason to forget about it. In an Obama Presidency we could expect to see an effort to adhere to the U.N. allocation mandate noted in the first posting linked above. He is, after all, the original sponsor of the Senate's version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives (H.R. 1302) on September 25, 2007.

For now, though, because it's on the Senate calendar is not cause to man the barricades. But it may warrant a phone call to the offices of your Senators reference Senate Bill 2433 to express an opinion.

[Hat tip to Mr. Schell for a rapid and thorough response.]