Congress Poised to Pass Global Fragility Act

WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, December 16th, 2019, congressional appropriators released the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Page 1321), which includes the Global Fragility Act.

Together with lead sponsors Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY), Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX), and a bi-partisan coalition of 65+ members, including Search for Common Ground, Mercy Corps, and Alliance for Peacebuilding, the Global Fragility Act would dedicate $1.15 billion over the next five years for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in countries at risk of violence and conflict. This would be a big win for the peacebuilding community and, more importantly, countries that have experienced years of instability making them vulnerable to violent conflict.

Search for Common Ground’s Vice President of Global Affairs and Partnerships, Mike Jobbins, says, “For years, US humanitarian aid has focused on coping with problems rather than solving them. We shouldn’t just be saving lives, we should be taking steps to end humans suffering in a holistic way that takes core reasons into account.”

The first vote on the appropriations package has been scheduled for today, Tuesday, December 17th, 2019, after three years of advocacy and research. A bipartisan group of twenty-six Senators and twenty Reps. also co-sponsored the bill.