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Ben Affleck Follows Bill Gates To Capitol Hill

Ben Affleck and Bill Gates have spoken before a US Congressional panel to stop attempts to cut foreign aid programmes in the new budget.

The Gone Girl star is involved in the Eastern Congo Initiative , an organisation he co-founded several years ago to help Congolese farmers produce and sell their coffee.

Recently, Starbucks agreed to buy and market coffee from the Congo.

Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner and eldest daughter Violet were at the hearing on Capitol Hill to support him.

"The next two years represent a critical turning point," he said.

"Business and investment is strong and powerful aid. It gives people a sense of self-confidence and a sense of meaning in their lives. And it brings goods to the market, a practice of which has built this country."

The Hollywood star spoke after Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , who has been active in eradicating polio throughout the world.

Affleck joked: "Thanks for having me follow the greatest and most important philanthropist in the history of the world.

"I'm sure I'm going to come off great."

Gates' efforts combine a private and public partnership to bring vaccination programmes throughout the third world.

He told the panel there has not been a case of polio in Africa for six months and the only two countries which have seen cases are Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"We are very optimistic that in the years ahead we will see the end of polio," he said.