WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS), released the following statement today after the SFOPS funding bill was made public as part of a six-bill appropriations package:
“This SFOPS bill makes critical investments in our diplomatic and development workforce, prioritizes meeting U.S. international commitments, stands by our partners and allies overseas, and delivers badly needed humanitarian assistance to those most in need. This bill rejects the efforts of those who would see us turn inward and continues to embrace the simple fact that we are safer and more prosperous at home when we engage globally to help shape a world based on the core values of rule of law, human rights, and democratic governance.
“This bill contains more than $58 billion for the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and related foreign assistance programs to deliver on those priorities. That includes $10.3 billion for sustainable and inclusive development, nearly $3.5 billion to fully meet our commitments to the United Nations and other international organizations, and more than $1.8 billion to help create a secure, free, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. More than $10 billion will also go to address critical global health initiatives, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
“There are many examples of how this bill advances our core principles. I’m pleased that it includes funding for the International Criminal Court as it continues to pursue charges against senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, for committing war crimes in Ukraine. I’m also proud that we were able to secure 12,000 additional Special Immigrant Visas for our Afghan allies. While we must pass the Afghan Adjustment Act to fully uphold our commitment to the Afghans who stood by us, these visas will provide a critical lifeline for many who helped us when we needed it most.
“The bill also makes critical investments in global development and economic growth, helping partner governments lift their populations out of poverty and strengthening our efforts to diversify and secure critical supply chains that have direct benefits here at home and counter our adversaries’ malign activities abroad. Additionally, while I will continue to work alongside many of my colleagues for the long-term reauthorization of PEPFAR – the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – the one-year extension included in this bill buys us critical time for that work.
“As important as what is in this bill is what is not included. The bill does not include many policy provisions proposed by the House bill that would have significantly set back years of global development efforts.
“These bills are always products of negotiation. I am particularly concerned about the yearlong prohibition on funding for UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, everywhere it operates. I remain deeply concerned about the plight of innocent civilians in Gaza and will continue working with the Biden administration to encourage additional steps to be taken to alleviate their suffering.
“I am also concerned that the House has yet to take up and pass the Senate-passed national security supplemental, which includes more than $9 billion in humanitarian assistance and additional security and economic assistance for Ukraine and other partners. For every day that passes without the enactment of the supplemental resources, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are emboldened, our reliability as a partner is called into question, and millions of innocent people who rely on U.S. humanitarian leadership are left in need. This makes the world less safe for all of us.
“While I will continue working toward passage of the supplemental, I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass the package of appropriations bills before us to show the world that the United States continues to provide critical leadership.”