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Heard on the Hill: Bono’s Back

U2 front man and humanitarian Bono can’t get enough of Congress this month. 

First, the singer chatted on the phone with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) about the effects that the proposed GOP spending bill will have on global health, and
now he’s meeting with Republican Senators to talk about Africa.

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) hosted Bono and about a dozen Senators for coffee Tuesday afternoon. It’s unclear which GOP lawmakers attended the closed-door meeting, though HOH can confirm that the group discussed humanitarian aid to the troubled continent.

“Bono recently returned from Africa with some compelling stories, and this is an opportunity to share them,” a tipster tells HOH.

Bono is a co-founder of the ONE Campaign, which urges funding for international aid programs. The campaign has collected about 125,000 signatures on
a petition asking the Senate not to cut programs to fight HIV/AIDS, hunger and preventable disease in this year’s budget.

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