BILL SUMMARY: State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
Bill strengthens America’s security and competitiveness, maintains our global leadership, strengthens engagement in the Indo-Pacific, invests in global health security, and delivers much-needed humanitarian aid
Washington, D.C. – The Fiscal Year 2024 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act provides $61.608 billion in total discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other essential related programs.
“This bill is a bipartisan product that would strengthen our national security, enhance U.S. international leadership, and deliver on our commitments to partners and allies. We are often reminded that we live in a complex and dangerous world. Ensuring our safety and protecting livelihoods at home requires concerted, sustained engagement abroad,” said Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. “This bill proves that despite the many deep policy disagreements between Democrats and Republicans, we still can and should work together to advance the interests of our nation and our constituents. It also demonstrates how the United States can advance values-based foreign policy, protect our national security, and advance an economic competitiveness agenda that prioritizes sustainable development, high standards, and international cooperation. I thank my Ranking Member, Lindsey Graham, whose partnership has been invaluable. We faced budget constraints that required tough choices when drafting this bill, and the need for supplemental funding to address global humanitarian crises and sustain our support for Ukraine is clear. I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these matters in the coming weeks and months.”
“Our country’s strength and competitiveness depend on the strength of our diplomacy, our alliances, and our investments in building a more open, free, prosperous, and secure world,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Despite the challenging circumstances, this bill ensures we maintain our leadership internationally at a critical moment. It supports the diplomatic and development workforce that powers our engagement overseas and invests in strengthening our alliances, boosting our competitiveness, and enhancing our Indo-Pacific Strategy. It also delivers much-needed new resources for humanitarian support, extends vital funding for global health security, and invests in stopping the flow of fentanyl to protect communities.”
Key Points & Highlights
Department of State Operations: The bill includes $10.1 billion—a $202 million increase above fiscal year 2023—for the Department of State to carry out its vital mission across the globe—with a focus on hiring, training, and supporting the diplomatic workforce.
USAID Operations: The bill provides $2 billion—a $53 million increase above fiscal year 2023—for the U.S. Agency for International Development to fulfill its responsibilities leading the United States’ international development and humanitarian efforts. The bill also focuses on supporting the development workforce that powers USAID’s vital work.
Global Health Security: The bill bolsters global health security by maintaining critical funding for global health initiatives—including $900 million for global health security—and providing targeted increases to key global health initiatives, such as funding a new global health workforce initiative and increasing the U.S. contribution to the GAVI alliance to $300 million to help vaccinate children and save lives in the world’s poorest nations.
The bill provides $1.65 billion for the United States’ contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and the President’s Malaria Initiative, as a result of the statutory cap on U.S. contributions related to other donor funds. The Committee intends to meet the full $6 billion United States pledge and urges other donors to make their matching pledges.
The bill also protects longstanding funding for family planning and reproductive health services to help prevent maternal mortality globally and allow people to plan families on their own terms.
Economic Resilience Initiative: The bill establishes a new $565 million multi-agency Economic Resilience Initiative to enhance U.S. and partner country economic security and growth. The initiative leverages tools across the U.S. government to expand investments in high-quality and sustainable infrastructure—including transportation corridors, critical minerals, and information and communications networks—and to secure critical supply chains.
The initiative includes $200 million in new funding for the Department of the Treasury to, among other things, increase financing through international financial institutions for infrastructure and energy security. This funding will increase access to financing for poverty reduction activities and mitigate the reliance by partners on substandard or coercive forms of lending offered by other nations and institutions.
Indo-Pacific Strategy: The bill provides $1.9 billion—$100 million above fiscal year 2023—to support the Indo-Pacific Strategy and strengthen U.S. leadership and presence in the region to help create a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Separately, the bill provides $400 million—meeting the President’s budget request—for the Countering PRC Influence fund.
Humanitarian Assistance: The bill provides $9.1 billion—a $691 million boost above fiscal year 2023—for humanitarian assistance programs to help meet the unprecedented forced displacement, food insecurity, and other emergency needs across the globe in order to save lives, stabilize communities, and improve global security.
Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: The bill includes $125 million to support efforts to stop global flows of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and their precursor materials through diplomatic engagement, law enforcement cooperation and capacity building, and governance capacity support. The bill also requires the Department of State to designate a Counter Fentanyl Coordinator to coordinate these initiatives, and it fully funds the implementation of the FENTANYL Results Act to build foreign law enforcement capacity to detect synthetic drugs like fentanyl.
International Organizations: The bill provides $3.6 billion—a $174 million increase over fiscal year 2023—to meet our commitments to the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations. It ensures the United States maintains its global leadership and is at the table to protect U.S. interests and shape global norms and standards, including increased funding for recruiting and placing Americans in entry-level UN jobs, increased funding to support the recruitment of U.S. candidates for UN agency leadership elections, and new resources to detail U.S. government subject matter experts to key UN agencies.
Combatting the Climate Crisis: The bill provides additional funding for bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to support biodiversity, adaptation, sustainable landscapes, and clean energy programs, including $150 million for the Clean Technology Fund.
Peace Corps: The bill provides $448 million in funding for the Peace Corps—an $18 million increase over fiscal year 2023.
Combatting Global Hunger and Enhancing U.S. Food Security: The bill provides $1.1 billion—a $100 million increase over fiscal year 2023—for the Feed the Future initiative to address food insecurity. Importantly, the bill also modernizes U.S. agriculture and food security programming by concentrating more resources in target countries demonstrating the greatest need, increasing funds for research and development initiatives related to adaptive crops and soils, and strategically leveraging cooperation with the private sector.
International Development and Growth: The bill delivers $9.4 billion in critical funding for sustainable and inclusive development, democratic governance, and economic growth programs. The bill also increases investments in development finance, export, and trade agencies by providing $1.02 billion for the Development Finance Corporation; $154 million for the Export-Import Bank, a 10% increase in funding over fiscal year 2023; and $100 million for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, a 15% increase over fiscal year 2023.
Supporting Allies: The bill helps ensure the U.S. delivers on its commitment to our allies, including by—among other things—fully funding the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel and supporting the relocation of Afghan allies by creating a new account to effectively manage funding for such operations through Operation Enduring Welcome.
International Criminal Justice: The bill provides enhanced support for international criminal justice efforts, including to support investigations and prosecutions of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
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