Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) proposed an amendment to the 2003 federal budget allocating $600 million in famine relief funds for Africa. Starvation has claimed the lives of millions of Africans in recent years and, despite international efforts to rectify the problem, widespread famine continues to plague the continent. Furthermore, the World Food Program estimates that 38 million Africans are on the verge of starvation in the near future, a clear indication of the depth of the humanitarian crisis enveloping Africa. Despite popular conceptions that the United States spends enormous sums on foreign aid, only 0.5% of the total federal budget is allocated for such purposes. Progressives support international relief efforts to help struggling third-world governments provide the basic elements such as food that are required for human survival. On this vote, Senator Ted Stevens (D-AK) offered a motion to table (or strike down) Nelson's amendment and narrowly succeeded by 48-46 margin. Progressives were pleased that the Senate later adopted Nelson's amendment by voice vote after a compromise was reached in which the total allocation for famine relief was reduced to $500 million.