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Senate Microfinance and Microenterprise Enhancement Act of 2011

Fact Sheet: Senate Microfinance and Microenterprise Enhancement Act of 2011 (PDF)

Action Sheet: Senate Microfinance and Microenterprise Enhancement Act of 2011 (Word)

Bill Text: Senate Microfinance and Microenterprise Enhancement Act of 2011 (PDF)

Additional facts sheets on microfinance

House Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011

Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Bobby Rush (D-IL) will introduce the Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011. The bill reauthorizes previous microenterprise legislation (PL 108-484) and provides means and incentives for USAID to direct substantially more microenterprise resources to the very poor.  Please ask your representatives to cosponsor this important bill.

Use these resources to help you make the ask to cosponsor the bill:

Dear Colleague letter (PDF). A "Dear Colleague" is a letter from the bill sponsors to other members asking them to cosponsor the bill.

Fact Sheet: House Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011 fact sheet (PDF)

Action Sheet: House Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011 (Word)

Bill Text: House Microenterprise Empowerment and Job Creation Act of 2011 (pdf)

TAKE ACTION: Call your congressperson or write your congressperson about cosponsorship of the bill

Additional facts sheets on microfinance

USAID Oversight: House Letter on Microfinance to the Very Poor

Reps. Rush (D-IL), Smith (R-NJ), and Payne (D-NJ) initiated a sign-on letter to USAID on microfinance. It closed on July 15 with 97 signers!

Final signers (97): Baldwin (D-WI),  Bartlett (R-MD), Berkley (D-NV), Berman (D-CA), Bishop S. (D-GA), Bordallo (D-GU), Blumenauer (D-OR), Brown C. (D-FL), Butterfield (D-NC), Capps (D-CA), Capuano (D-MA), Castor (D-FL), Carney (D-DE), Carter (R-TX), Carson (D-IN), Christensen (D-VI), Connolly (D-VA), Conyers (D-MI), Clarke (D-NY), Davis D. (D-IL), Davis S. (D-CA), De Fazio (D-OR), Degette (D-CO), Dicks (D-WA), Doyle (D-PA), Doggett (D-TX), Grijalva (D-AZ), Ellison (D-MN), Engel (D-NY), Eshoo (D-CA), Farr (D-CA),  Flores B (R-TX), Fortenberry (R-NE), Fudge (D-OH), Filner (D-CA), Hastings (D-FL), Heinrich (D-NM), Hinchey (D-NY), Herrera B (R-WA), Holt (D-NJ), Johnson E.B. (D-TX), Johnson H. (D-GA), Grijalva (D-AZ), Green G. (D-TX), Gutierrez (D-IL), Clarke H. (D-MI), Honda (D-HI), Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Jackson (D-IL), Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Kildee (D-MI), Larsen (D-WA), Lee (D-CA), Lewis J. (D-GA), Lofgren (D-CA), Lujan (D-NM), Markey (D-MA), Matheson (D-UT), McCaul (R-TX), McCotter (R-MI), McDermott (D-WA), McNerney (D-CA), Miller B. (D-NC), Miller G. (R-CA), Moran (D-VA), Murphy C. (D-CT), Olver (D-MA), Payne (D-NJ), Peters (D-MI), Peterson (D-MN), Price (D-NC), Rangel (D-NY), Reichert (R-WA), Richardson (D-CA), Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rothman (D-NJ), Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rush (D-IL), Ryan (D-OH), Schakowsky (D-IL), Schrader (D-OR), Shuler (D-NC), Sires (D-NJ), Smith A. (D-WA), Smith C. (R-NJ), Speier (D-CA), Stark (D-CA), Terry (R-NE), Towns (D-NY),  Van Hollen (D-MD), Waters (D-CA), Wilson (D-FL), Woolsey (D-CA), Wu (D-OR), Yarmuth (D-KY), Young (R-AK), Young (R-IN).

The letter requests information that will strengthen congressional oversight of microfinance programs. It focuses on USAID’s failure to direct at least half of microfinance assistance to the very poor, as well as directing additional resources women, sub-Saharan Africa, and savings-led approaches. This fact sheet provides additional background.