Foreign Relations Reauthorization: Background and Issues (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised March 28, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF10293 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Cory R. Gill; Emily M. Morgenstern |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
Historically, the activities of the Department of State,
related agencies, the Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG), and foreign assistance have been authorized by two
separate pieces of legislation. One, covering the day-to-day
operations of the Department of State, diplomacy, and
international broadcasting, is referred to as foreign relations
authorization or State Department authorization. The
second is referred to as foreign assistance authorization and
provides for the spending of monies on promoting U.S.
foreign policy objectives around the world through
economic development programs, security assistance,
refugee and disaster assistance, and multilateral aid.
In the second session of the 115th Congress, foreign affairs
authorizing committees have introduced foreign relations
authorization legislation: S. 1631 and H.R. 5592. Both
include provisions addressing issues such as Administration
efforts to reform the State Department and USAID,
diversity hiring, and embassy construction.
Although comprehensive foreign relations reauthorization
legislation has not been enacted since the 107th Congress in
2003, the 114th Congress passed what it named the
Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (P.L.
114-323/S. 1635). The bill was introduced in the Senate in
June 2015; the President signed it in December 2016.
This law differed from past comprehensive foreign relations
authorizations because it did not include authorizations of
appropriations. When a foreign relations reauthorization
does not specifically authorize appropriations, waivers of
this requirement are included in the annual appropriations
bills. When authorization requirements are not enacted,
foreign policy provisions often are inserted in the general
provisions title. Typically, these provisions would be
effective only for the duration of the appropriations law and
would face renegotiation the following year.
