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Letters to Congress

Letter to Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Gregg regarding WOCCU Funding

July 16, 2007

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chairman, Subcommittee on
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
United States Senate
361A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Leahy:

On behalf of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) and the 89 million credit union members in the U.S. and 172 million members worldwide, we thank you for your leadership and support of the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) and Microenterprise Development in the FY2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

The CDP and Microenterprise Development, both administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, play a critical role in increasing access to safe and affordable financial services to people in developing countries. We are pleased that the Appropriations Committee designated $12 million in funding for the CDP, which will aid the work of credit unions and other cooperatives by funding sustainable development assistance carried out by eight U.S. based cooperative development organizations, including WOCCU. Additionally, we are pleased that the Senate bill included $225 million for Microenterprise Development with $30 million designated for USAID’s Office of Microenterprise Development.

Again, your leadership in securing the language and appropriations for the CDP and Microenterprise Development is greatly appreciated and recognized by credit unions worldwide. We strongly support the adoption of these provisions by the Senate. We also urge you to insist that the language and provisions in the Senate bill be carried forward into the conference report for the FY2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, and we look forward to working with you during the remainder of the appropriations process to achieve this goal.

Sincerely,

July 16, 2007

The Honorable Judd Gregg
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
United States Senate
142 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Ranking Member Gregg:

On behalf of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) and the 89 million credit union members in the U.S. and 172 million members worldwide, we thank you for your leadership and support of the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) and Microenterprise Development in the FY2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

The CDP and Microenterprise Development, both administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, play a critical role in increasing access to safe and affordable financial services to people in developing countries. We are pleased that the Appropriations Committee designated $12 million in funding for the CDP, which will aid the work of credit unions and other cooperatives by funding sustainable development assistance carried out by eight U.S. based cooperative development organizations, including WOCCU. Additionally, we are pleased that the Senate bill included $225 million for Microenterprise Development with $30 million designated for USAID’s Office of Microenterprise Development.

Again, your leadership in securing the language and appropriations for the CDP and Microenterprise Development is greatly appreciated and recognized by credit unions worldwide. We strongly support the adoption of these provisions by the Senate. We also urge you to insist that the language and provisions in the Senate bill be carried forward into the conference report for the FY2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, and we look forward to working with you during the remainder of the appropriations process to achieve this goal.

Sincerely.