WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chair of the Senate State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today after the full committee markup of the fiscal year 2024 SFOPS Appropriations bill:
“The fiscal year 2024 Appropriations Senate bill for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is a bipartisan product that will 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.
“This bill proves that, despite the many deep policy disagreements between Democrats and Republicans, we can and should work together to advance our national priorities and our constituents’ interests. It also demonstrates how the United States can promote values-based foreign policy, protect our national security, and improve our economic competitiveness and that of our allies. I thank Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), 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.”
Highlights of the FY 2024 SFOPS bill include:
Funding U.S. diplomacy and development efforts. The bill provides $61.6 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other agencies and programs.
Supporting the diplomatic and development workforce. The bill includes $12.1 billion for State and USAID operations – a $255 million increase above the fiscal year 2023 level – to make critical investments in staff, training, cybersecurity, and other operational flexibilities to ensure our personnel have the resources to implement U.S. foreign policy priorities and programs.
Bolstering economic resilience, development finance, export, and trade tools. The bill establishes a new $565 million Economic Resilience Initiative 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. It includes a new $200 million account for the U.S. Department of the Treasury to increase financing through international financial institutions for infrastructure and energy security activities to help mitigate partner-nation reliance on substandard or coercive forms of lending. The bill also provides increases for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
Investing in global health programs and humanitarian assistance. The bill bolsters global health security by maintaining robust bilateral global health funding levels (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 vaccine alliance to $300 million. The bill provides $9.1 billion for humanitarian assistance programs to meet the unprecedented level of forced displacement, food insecurity, and other emergency needs globally to save lives and stabilize communities.
Supporting sustainable and inclusive development, democratic governance, and economic growth. The bill provides $9.4 billion for programs to support development and economic assistance programs, and includes increases for bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to support biodiversity, adaptation, sustainable landscapes, and clean energy programs, including $150 million for the Clean Technology Fund. The bill modernizes U.S. agriculture and food security programming by directing more resources to target countries that demonstrate the greatest need, increasing funds for research and development related to adaptive crops and soils, and leverages cooperation with the private sector. The bill also provides $100 million for two new foundations focused on conservation and food security, if authorized.
Meeting our commitments to international organizations. The bill provides $3.6 billion to meet our commitments to the United Nations and other international organizations, and increases funding to ensure that the United States continues to play a leadership role in these organizations. Funding in the bill expands the presence of Americans in entry-level U.N. jobs, the recruitment of U.S. candidates for U.N. agency leadership elections, and the detail of U.S. government subject-matter experts to key U.N. agencies.
Reducing the flow of fentanyl from overseas. The bill includes a new counter-fentanyl provision that increases funding for programs that target global flows of synthetic drugs and their precursor materials through related 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 acceleration of these initiatives and fully funds the implementation of the FENTANYL Results Act.
Enhancing U.S. strategic engagement globally. The bill supports key allies and partners – including fully funding the MOU with Israel – and expands U.S. funding and engagement in key regions like the Indo-Pacific, including Pacific Island countries and Taiwan.
Expanding oversight of funding. The bill includes funding above the budget request for the Inspectors General of the State Department and USAID, requires additional transition planning for the continued oversight of Afghanistan programs, and requires additional oversight of humanitarian assistance programs.