State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 31, 2008 |
| Report Number |
RL34023 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Connie Veillette and Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
The annual State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in general. Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs has been steadily rising since FY2002, and amounts approved for FY2004 in regular and supplemental bills reached an unprecedented level compared with the past 40 years. Emergency supplementals enacted since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to assist the front-line states in the war on terrorism, fund Afghanistan and Iraq reconstruction, and upgrade State Department operations and security upgrades, also have pushed spending upward.
This report analyzes the FY2008 budget request and funding trends, including major issues Congress may consider, and tracks congressional action. Major issues confronting the 110th Congress include:
The overall size of the budget request that represents an 11% increase over FY2007 enacted levels;
A foreign aid reform plan that seeks to align assistance with U.S. strategic objectives;
Significant increases for Presidential initiatives;
Continued costs relating to Iraq and Afghanistan; and
Secretary Rice's Transformational Diplomacy initiative for the State Department.
Congress completed action on all appropriations bills in the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2764) during the week of December 17, 2007. The President signed the Act on December 26 (P.L. 110-161). The act also included $2.4 billion in emergency supplemental funds for international affairs. The Senate-passed State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill was the vehicle used for the consolidated bill. On February 6, 2007, the Administration sent to Congress its FY2008 budget that included significant increases for the international affairs budget. On June 5, 2007, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies marked up the FY2008 measure providing a total of $34.243 billion; full committee consideration followed on June 12. The House passed the bill, H.R. 2764, on June 22. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the bill on June 28, and the Senate passed it on September 6, approving the same level of total funding as the House bill. The President sent an FY2008 supplemental request to Congress on October 22 seeking, among other funds, an additional $3.6 billion for international affairs.
This report will be updated to further reflect congressional action.
