Foreign Relations Authorization, FY2004 and FY2005: State Department and Foreign Assistance (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (55 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised April 1, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RL31986 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised Sept. 2, 2003 (55 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium July 21, 2003 (49 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
The foreign relations authorization process dovetails with the annual appropriation
process for the
Department of State (within the Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agency appropriation) and
foreign policy/foreign aid activities (within the foreign operations appropriation). Congress is
required by law to authorize the spending of appropriations for the State Department and foreign
policy activities every two years. Foreign assistance authorization measures (such as
authorization
for the U.S. Agency for International Development, economic and military assistance to foreign
countries, and international population programs) have been merged into the State Department
authorization legislation since 1985. Since that time, Congress has not passed a stand-alone foreign
assistance authorization bill.
Congressman Hyde introduced H.R. 1950 on May 5, 2003. The House
International Relations Committee reported the bill May 16 ( H.Rept. 108-105 , Part I).
H.R. 1950 , as reported out by the Committee, contained authorization legislation for
FY2004 and FY2005 and included a defense trade and security assistance title, as well as a foreign
assistance title. As amended (July 15 and 16) and passed (July 16) by the House, H.R. 1950 also includes the Millennium Challenge Account and Peace Corps provisions. The legislation
authorizes about $27 billion for FY2004 and FY2005. The House bill contains the Israeli-Palestinian
peace plan, also known as the "road map" which goes beyond the President's plan by including
conditions that must be met before the United States can agree to a Palestinian state. Also included
are terrorist-related enforcement measures, munition and satellite export controls. Eliminated by
amendment was a provision providing $50 million in U.S. contributions to the U.N. Population Fund
for each year that the legislation covers. House floor action occurred on July 15th and 16th. The
House passed the bill, as amended, by recorded vote (382-42) on July 16th.
The Senate originally reported three separate bills providing authority for only FY2004: a
foreign relations authorization ( S. 925 ), a foreign assistance authorization bill
( S. 1161 ) which includes arms export control and counter terrorism measures, and the
Millennium Challenge Account ( S. 1160 ). After political differences with unrelated
floor amendments in 2003, the Senate gave up trying to vote on S. 925 (within which
the other two bills had been merged). On February 27, 2004, Senator Lugar introduced the Senate's
new Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY2005 ( S. 2144 ). The Senate Foreign
Relations Committee reported it out on March 18, 2004 ( S.Rept. 108-248 ).
