Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2015 State and Foreign Operations Bill

The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill on a voice vote.

The bill totals $48.3 billion in both regular discretionary and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding. This total is $708 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $277 million below the President’s request for these programs. Within this amount, OCO is funded at $5.9 billion and will support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as stabilization and humanitarian efforts in areas of conflict around the globe. 

“We live in a time of global uncertainty and instability, and it is vital to our national security and well-being that the United States maintains a leadership role in the world. We must prioritize our funding and have done so by maintaining critical diplomatic efforts, supporting continued humanitarian aid, and protecting the safety and security of Americans abroad, while cutting lower-priority programs or those that we simply cannot afford at this time,” Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said.

State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger said:

“This bill focuses on programs that keep the United States and our allies secure while anticipating continued change around the world with a special focus on the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America. This is a national security bill that prioritizes funding for embassy security, democracy assistance, our strategic partners such as Israel, and life-saving health and refugee programs,” Chairwoman Granger said. “In addition, the bill focuses on combating human trafficking especially in high-risk areas such as Central America, and combats wildlife poaching which has been a priority for this subcommittee since I took over as Chair. Further, the bill spends less than last year by terminating or scaling back some programs in order to fund the highest priorities that are in our national security interest.”

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full committee today:

Rep. Granger – The manager’s amendment makes technical and non-controversial changes to the bill and report, including language related to Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) and Iraq. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.

Rep. Lowey – The amendment adds language to the bill related to health care coverage for Peace Corps volunteers. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote. 

Rep. Wolf – The amendment adds language to the bill renaming a street in the District of Columbia after Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.

Rep. Kaptur – The amendment adds report language encouraging USAID to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, with emphasis on agricultural assistance to rural women. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.

For the text of the bill, please visit: /uploadedfiles/bills-113hr-sc-ap-fy2015-stateforop-subcommitteedraft.pdf

For the bill report, please visit: /uploadedfiles/hrpt-113-hr-fy2015-stateforop.pdf

 

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