WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President George W. Bush released his fiscal year 2007 budget proposal.  The proposal includes more than $23.7 billion for foreign assistance programs.  Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY18), the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement on the foreign operations budget:

“While I am pleased that the President’s budget provides a 14% increase overall for Foreign Operations, I have serious questions about the priorities it represents.  I appreciate and support the President’s commitment to combating HIV/AIDS.  However, the FY2007 bill continues an Administration trend to scale up funding for Presidential initiatives such as the Millennium Challenge Account and HIV/AIDS by cutting or neglecting core development priorities.  

“This budget is bad news for non-HIV/AIDS and malaria health initiatives, as well as for key priorities such as basic education.  The President has proposed major cuts to child survival and maternal health programs and assistance for vulnerable children, and he has reneged on his own pledge to fund international family planning programs at $425 million per year.  The FY07 budget would actually cut these lifesaving programs by at least $80 million.

“Despite clear evidence that providing basic education in developing countries is key to alleviating poverty, improving health, and promoting democratic societies, this budget would actually cut basic education initiatives in the Development Assistance account by over $100 million.  And, at a time when the U.S. should be paying more, rather than less, attention to the national security imperative of a stable and secure Latin America, the President is proposing cuts of nearly 30% to development assistance funds for that region.  These cuts are simply shortsighted – its bad policy to wait until destabilization in Latin America threatens us imminently to take action. 

“In the face of continued evidence that the reconstruction effort in Iraq is over budget and behind schedule, it is not surprising that the President has requested more money for this purpose.  However, we have yet to see a comprehensive strategy to complete reconstruction priorities and stabilize the country, and we have no clear indication of what American taxpayers have gotten for the more than $20 billion we have provided already.  We cannot allow the Administration’s bumbling of Iraq reconstruction up until now to dominate funds needed elsewhere around the world. 

 “I believe it is the prerogative of every Administration to reevaluate existing programs and propose new initiatives.  I am pleased the President understands that foreign assistance is, along with diplomacy and defense, part of a complete national security strategy.  However, the President has repeatedly pledged that funding for new initiatives will be in addition to, rather than in place of, existing programs.  In proposing cuts to most health and development initiatives, the FY07 budget request does not honor this promise. 

“I will work with Foreign Operations Appropriations Chairman Kolbe and my colleagues to craft a foreign assistance spending bill that treats our priorities around the globe more equitably.”