US promises:

Three years ago, President Bush created the Millennium Challenge Account to give more money to poor countries that are committed to policies promoting development. He said his government would donate billions in incremental stages until the programme got to a high of $5 billion a year starting in 2006. While that is just 0.04 per cent of America’s national income, Bush touted the proposal as proof that he cares about poverty.

Bush has committed a lot less than he promised. The Wall Street Journal reports that the White House has quietly informed the managers of the Account to expect about $3 billion in the next budget. If past is prologue, the Republican Congress will cut the pledge even further. But the programme is high on the list of talking points for cabinet officials. They are quick to list the countries that have qualified for the aid programme.

Bush is expected to ask Congress for only $1.6 billion more next year. When added to the amount that AIDS funds increased in 2004 and 2005, that would leave more than

$6 billion to get out of Congress in the next two years to meet Bush’s pledge. Congress and Bush will point to the ballooning deficit and say they don’t have the money. But that was a matter of choice. They chose to spend billions on tax cuts and the war in Iraq. They can choose to spend it instead to keep America’s promises. — The New York Times