Advocacy Stories, Connector Articles
CCIH Advocates Take Message to Capitol Hill
Immediately following the conference on July 16, 2018 three groups of CCIH members went to Capitol Hill to advocate for global health and development programs and to discuss the vital role of faith-based organizations in providing care. The three teams had representatives from five U.S. states and eight nations in Africa and Europe.
The photo at the top shows CCIH Advocacy Team: Nkatha Njeru, ACHAP; Jonathan Kiliko, MEDS; Paseka Ramashamole, CHAL (Lesotho); Sallie Craig Huber; Karen Sichinga of CHAZ; John Rusha Saburi of ZACH; Douglas Huber of CCIH with Josh Wentzel of the office of Representative Mark Meadows.
The three teams met with the following offices:
- Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), serves on the Appropriations Committee
- Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas), serves on the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, the Senate Hunger Caucus (Co-Chair), and the Senate Prayer Caucus
- Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), serves on the Appropriations Committee; Senator Joe Manchin III (D-West Virginia), serves on the Committee on Appropriations
- Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), serves on the Foreign Relations Committee
- Senator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma); Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chief Deputy Republican Whip and serves on the Senate Finance and Budget Committee
- Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), serves on the Foreign Relations Committee
- Senator James Risch, (R-Idaho), Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee
- Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida-25); Appropriations Committee; Representative
- Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska-1), serves on the House Appropriations Committee and State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee
- Representative Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-Washington-3), serves on the House Appropriations Committeeepresentative Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina-11), Chair of the House Freedom Caucus and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Washington State-5), Chair of the House Republican Conference
The teams expressed the importance of U.S. leadership in global health and explained to Congressional staff how they leverage U.S. support to operate lifesaving programs, such as PEPFAR and other critical health programs.
Briefing on Healthy Families and the Role of Faith Communities
The following day, July 17, 2018, CCIH held a briefing on Capitol Hill on Healthy Families and Communities and the Role of Faith Communities. The briefing was moderated by Dr. Alma Golden, Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID Bureau for Global Health. Representatives of four CCIH member organizations shared their work to protect the health of mothers and children. More about the briefing