Whereas after World War II, the United States established a program to provide for the reconstruction of Europe, named after General George C. Marshall and commonly referred to as the Marshall Plan ; Whereas by providing assistance to Europe through the Marshall Plan, the United States recognized the direct link between economic growth and political stability; Whereas in 1948, United States financial support of the Marshall Plan represented a generous 13 percent of the Federal budget; Whereas the Marshall Plan made possible new measures of international cooperation by promoting European economic integration which has enhanced the security, freedom, and prosperity of the United States and the world; Whereas the United States established foreign assistance programs, as prescribed by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, with a goal of the encouragement and sustained support of the people of developing countries in their efforts to acquire the knowledge and resources essential to development and to build the economic, political, and social institutions which will improve the quality of their lives ; Whereas in announcing the Millennium Challenge Account on March 15, 2002, President George W. Bush stated The advance of development is a central commitment of American foreign policy. As a nation founded on the dignity and value of every life, America’s heart breaks because of the suffering and senseless death we see in our world. We work for prosperity and opportunity because they’re right. It’s the right thing to do. ; Whereas the World Bank reports that about eleven percent of the world’s population, 767,000,000 people, lives in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day; Whereas the United States has one of the highest levels of poverty among industrialized countries; Whereas the United States should also work toward improving the life of its own poorest population, as 13.5 percent live below the Federal poverty level