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Washington, D.C. – The House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), today marked up the subcommittee’s fiscal year 2008 bill. The Chairwoman’s Mark, which is $34.243 billion, is $2.95 billion over FY2007 enacted levels.
“This bill provides funding critical to the War on Terror and our long-term security at home,” Lowey said. “A healthier, more secure, better educated world is a safer world.”
The bill reflects the four priorities of the Subcommittee: oversight of foreign assistance programs; supporting our allies in the Global War on Terror; improving aid effectiveness by strengthening Development Assistance; and responding to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and other health challenges. Below are details about how the bill addresses these issues.
State Department Operations
- Over $4.7 billion to support State Department operations in the United States and at our diplomatic missions abroad, fully funding the President’s requests for worldwide security upgrades.
- $365 million for public diplomacy efforts at the State Department and $501 million for educational and cultural exchanges.
Global HIV/AIDS and Other Global Health Priorities
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$6.519 billion for global health programs, including HIV/AIDS.
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$4.150 billion for Global HIV/AIDS Initiative (GHAI) bilateral programs, which is $1.280 billion above the FY07 level.
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$550 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. President Bush requested no funding for the Global Fund in the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.
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A major increase for the Child Survival and Health Programs account, which is $393 million above the President’s request.
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Increased resources for health programs including family planning, combating XDR-TB, malaria, and maternal and child health.
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The provision of contraceptives from USAID to family planning organizations that have been denied USAID funding. These contraceptives will reduce abortions, reduce the spread of HIV, and save the lives of mothers and infants by reducing the number of high-risk and unintended pregnancies. The bill provides contraceptives only – not financial assistance – to clinics and NGOs.
Improving Aid Effectiveness and Strengthening Development Assistance
- A major increase for the Development Assistance account to a total of $1.734 billion, which is $692 million above the President’s request. This will fund an initiative on basic education for developing countries as well as an expansion of safe water and environmental programs.
- $750 million for basic education, an increase of $200 million from the FY07 House-passed bill.
- $814 million for refugee assistance, $40 million more than the President requested. An additional $130.5 million was included in the FY07 Supplemental at $59 million above the Administration’s request.
- $322 million for Disaster Assistance.
Support to our Allies in the War on Terror
- $2.656 billion for Economic Support Fund (ESF) programs and $4.459 billion for Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs. These funds support ongoing and new assistance for our allies in the Global War on Terror.
- Fully funds the President’s request for Afghanistan, providing over $1 billion to continue our reconstruction and counter-narcotics efforts.
Additional Provisions
- $530.6 million for Colombia, which balances and realigns funding to incorporate development, eradication and interdiction, adding funding to interdiction.
- $501 million for environment and clean energy programs, including $106 million for the Global Environmental facility and $175 million for biodiversity programs at USAID. Bill also includes provision to encourage the Export-Import Bank to increase exports in renewable energy and other environmentally beneficial products. Initiative could result in an estimated $1 billion in additional green exports in 2008.
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