Mar 20: Will Diplomacy Funding Get Cut?

Prevent War: Will Diplomacy Funding Get Cut?

Topics in this message:

  1. Senate Threatens to Cut International Affairs Budget
  2. Action: Urge Congress to Support the President’s International Affairs Budget
  3. FCNL Submits Testimony on Preventing Deadly Conflict
  4. Recent Resources

1. Senate Threatens to Cut International Affairs Budget

The 2009 omnibus spending bill that President Barack Obama signed last week contained significant investments in diplomacy and development. Next week the House and Senate Budget Committees plan to mark up their drafts of the budget for fiscal year 2010. As we noted in our last message, for FY 2010 the president requested a 10 percent increase in the international affairs budget, which funds U.S. diplomacy, development, and contributions to international organizations including the United Nations.

Unfortunately, reports from Capitol Hill suggest the Senate Budget Committee may be preparing to cut the administration’s request for international affairs funding. Last week, Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (ND) told The Hill — a congressional newspaper— that “President Obama’s budget doesn’t have enough support from lawmakers to pass." To garner more support and reduce the overall size of the budget, Senator Conrad is reportedly considering major cuts to the international affairs budget. If the Budget Committees consider any reductions to the president’s budget, these cuts should come from the bloated military budget, not already underfunded civilian foreign policy agencies or domestic human needs spending.

2. Action: Urge Congress to Support the President’s International Affairs Budget

Members of Congress need to hear from you! This is especially true if your representative or senators are members of their chamber’s Budget Committee. Urge them to support the administration’s request of $51.7 billion for international affairs in the fiscal year 2010 budget resolution. If any cuts must be made to the president’s budget, urge them to cut from the military budget.

3. FCNL Submits Testimony on Preventing Deadly Conflict

This week, FCNL sent written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the subcommittee responsible for directing funding for diplomacy, development, and international cooperation. Our testimony urges the subcommittee to support specific tools the United States needs in its foreign policy toolbox to help prevent deadly conflict and promote durable peace. Read the testimony.

4. Recent Resources

FCNL Success’s from the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill

How to Make U.S. Foreign Aid Work (Christian Science Monitor)

Conflict and Poverty, Gareth Evans (International Crisis Group)

Civilians to Join Afghan Buildup (Washington Post)