St. Paul, MN – InterAction, an alliance of 160 U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), has named Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) one of its two recipients of their annual Congressional Leadership Award for her work advancing international development and humanitarian issues. Among InterAction’s members are large and small NGOs such as CARE, Save the Children, and the Minnesota-based American Refugee Committee. InterAction’s director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Todd Shelton, said, “Our member organizations have chosen to honor Rep. McCollum for her leadership on sustainable, poverty reducing, and gender-sensitive international development.”
In the 109th Congress, McCollum has authored bipartisan legislation to focus U.S. foreign assistance to the world poor in the area of maternal health, family planning, child survival, the environment and poverty alleviation. “Because we are blessed to live in a bountiful country, I believe the U.S. has an opportunity and an obligation to work to overcome extreme poverty, suffering and to advance social justice and basic dignity to all of our brothers and sisters,” said McCollum. “InterAction’s member organizations are fighting poverty, hunger, disease and injustice by spreading hope and opportunity. I am honored and humbled to receive this honor, because I deeply respect and honor the work these NGOs do everyday on behalf of the American people and the world’s neediest citizens.”
McCollum has introduced several pieces of legislation to support international maternal health, family planning, children’s health and poverty alleviation, including The Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act (H.R. 4188) and The CHILD and Newborn Act (H.R. 4222).
In addition to honoring McCollum, InterAction is recognizing Congressman Chris Shays (R-CT) for his work on international development. Shays and McCollum will be formally honored at InterAction’s annual banquet on December 5, 2006 in Washington, DC.
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