FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Press Contact: Ryan Nickel (202) 225-3481

Rep. Norm Dicks’ Statement on the FY2013 State & Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON- House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rep. Norm Dicks made the following comments after release of the FY2013 State and Foreign Operations bill text:

“Today the Majority has unveiled the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. I find it unfortunate that Republican leadership doesn’t give the State and Foreign Operations bill the same funding priority that it gives to other bills that address our national security. This week we’ll also go to Subcommittee Markup on Defense, Homeland Security and Military Construction, VA; all of which are national security bills that have more adequate House allocations.

“This bill, however, underfunds our nation’s diplomatic efforts, overall development initiatives, and multilateral obligations, while also containing a series of highly controversial legislative riders that neither the President nor the Senate will accept and will inevitably be removed in conference negotiations.

“It’s also important to note that the allocation for this bill is based on the Ryan budget which reneges on the allocation in the Budget Control Act by cutting -$19 billion below that bipartisan agreement and if it were allowed to stand, would threaten job creation and economic growth. The President, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and House Democrats, have all maintained that we should stick with the allocation of $1.047 trillion in the Budget Control Act.

“That is why I believe that by the end of the process we will be back at the balanced allocation in that agreement, and can then repair many of the cuts proposed in this and other House bills.

“I would like to emphasize that there are positive provisions in this bill including full funding of our vital alliance with Israel. I am also pleased to see that several important humanitarian priorities, including the President’s AIDS relief initiative (PEPFAR); development assistance; the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI); and clean water and sanitation efforts; have all been adequately supported in this bill.  

“Despite the setback of the Ryan Budget allocation, it's important that the Appropriations Committee maintains its reputation as the Committee that gets its work done. As I’ve said repeatedly: I’ll do whatever I can to assist in the procedure of this year’s Appropriations bills.”

Below is a brief summary of funding levels in the FY2013 State and Foreign Operations bill

Diplomatic & Consular Programs: The bill provides $8.98 billion total, -$1.96 billion below the FY2012 enacted level and -$2.4 billion below the President’s request. 

USAID Operating Expenses: The bill provides $1.27 billion total, -$73 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$73 million below the President’s request. 

Millennium Challenge Corporation:The bill provides $898 million total, equal to the FY2012 enacted level and equal to the President’s request. 

Development Assistance: The bill provides $2.52 billion total, equal to the FY2012 enacted level and $5.5 million below the President’s request. 

Clean Water: The bill provides $315 million total, equal to the FY2012 enacted level and $16 million above the President’s request. 

Peace Corps: The bill provides $375 million total, equal to the FY2012 enacted level and $500,000 above the President’s request. 

Broadcasting Board of Governors: The bill provides $747 million total, $4 million below the FY2012 enacted level and $27 million above the President’s request.  

Climate Change: Cuts funding to accounts and programs across the bill that address global climate change such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, The Strategic Climate Fund and the Clean Technology Fund.  

PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan For Aids Relief): The bill provides $5.54 billion total, equal to the FY2012 enacted level and $193 million above the President’s request. 

Debt Forgiveness: Does not include funds in the President’s request for debt forgiveness to the Sudan and the Committee expresses its concern with the ongoing violence there.

POLICY RIDERS

Global Gag Rule (“Mexico City Policy”): A policy that prohibits federal funding from going to any international organization that uses their own funds to provide comprehensive family planning services. This policy goes beyond existing U.S. law and prevents women from gaining access to essential information and health care services thereby increasing the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

Human Rights Conditions: Removes human rights conditions on funding for Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Defunds UNFPA: Blocks U.S. contributions to the UN Population Fund.

UN Peacekeeping Activities: Caps U.S. contributions to UN Peacekeeping Activities at 25 percent. This abrogates our treaty agreement with the UN.  

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