Subject: International Affairs Budget Update 7/31/15
From: "Lindsay Plack, USGLC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:38:45 -0500 (CDT)

USGLC

International Affairs Budget Update
July 31, 2015
1.  Recap of House and Senate Appropriations Action on FY16
International Affairs Budget
2.  SFRC Approves Smith Nomination to Lead USAID; Floor
Consideration Unclear
3.  Ex-Im Reauthorization Hits Another Roadblock

1.  Recap of House and Senate Appropriations Action on FY16
International Affairs Budget

With GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, for the first time
in six years, the Appropriations Committees in both chambers approved
all 12 spending bills, including those that fund the International
Affairs Budget-the State-Foreign Operations and Agriculture
Appropriations bills. As expected, the President's budget
request remains the high-water mark.The House and Senate handled their
bills differently with the Senate having the stronger of the two bills
overall, though still 9% below the President's request.
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=o9izPA2wV6I5KikZIK7gJw

While USGLC is urging Congress to support no less than the Senate
funding, we have flagged two concerns.  The Senate bill shifts funds
from base programs to Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) and with
OCO set to expire in just a few years Congress will need to work to
ensure strong base funding moving forward. Even more concerning, the
total level is slightly below current funding and significantly below
the President's request.  With an unprecedented number of
"level three" humanitarian global crises (Iraq, Syria,
Yemen, and South Sudan) and numerous other international challenges,
now is not the time to cut back on our development and diplomatic
programs.

Click here for USGLC's detailed analysis and key account
comparisons between the House and Senate bills: http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Ehzh_D8Eswlku6Mpt4x_mA

International Affairs Budget Snapshot*

FY15 Enacted
Base: $41.6 billion
OCO: $9.3 billion
Total: $50.9 billion

FY16 Request**
Base: $48.5 billion
OCO: $7.0 billion
Total: $55.6 billion

FY16 House
Base: $42.1 billion
OCO: $7.3 billion
Total: $49.4 billion

FY16 Senate
Base: $40.6 billion
OCO: $9.3 billion
Total: $50.6 billion*

*The table excludes $2.5 billion in FY15 emergency funding, which was
provided specifically to combat the Ebola crisis in West Africa, but
includes the Senate's FY16 302(b) allocation of $759 million in
emergency spending. 
** Reflects CBO re-estimate of FY16 request.

Agriculture Appropriations

On July 16th, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY16
Agricultural Appropriations bill, which includes two major
international affairs accounts.  The Senate bill provides $1.466
billion for the Food for Peace (PL 480/international food assistance)
program, the same level provided in FY15, but above both the request
(+$66 million) and House (+$49 million) levels.  In the case of the
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition
account, the Senate bill provides $202 million, $10 million more than
provided in the House bill (which holds funding to this year's
level). This additional $10 million, which could be used to purchase
some McGovern-Dole food aid locally or regionally, is half of what the
Administration requested for this initiative.

Agriculture Appropriations International Programs Snapshot

FY15 Enacted
Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II: $1.466 billion
McGovern-Dole: $192 million
Local and Regional Procurement: $0
Total: $1.658 billion

FY16 Admin Request
Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II: $1.4 billion
McGovern-Dole: $192 million
Local and Regional Procurement: $20 million
Total: $1.612 billion

FY16 House Agriculture
Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II: $1.417 billion
McGovern-Dole: $192 million
Local and Regional Procurement: $0
Total: $1.609 billion

FY16 Senate Agriculture
Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II: $1.466 billion
McGovern-Dole: $202 million*
Local and Regional Procurement: $0*
Total: $1.668 billion

*Allocates $10 million of McGovern-Dole funding to local and regional
procurement.

2. SFRC Approves Smith Nomination to Lead USAID; Floor
Consideration Unclear

On Wednesday the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously
approved the nomination of Gayle Smith to be the next USAID
Administrator.  Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior
Director for Development and Diplomacy at the National Security
Council, was nominated by President Barack Obama in April to fill the
vacancy left by the departure of former Administrator Raj Shah.

USGLC issued a press statement urging her swift confirmation, noting
the enormous challenges facing the world that require strong and
effective leadership at USAID. While Senate leadership has initiated
the steps to approve her nomination as part of a broader nominations
package before adjourning for the August recess next week, holds have
been put on her nomination.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=0LIJDL3i4MFoQ_DSXZ9LoQ

3.  Ex-Im Reauthorization Hits Another Roadblock

By a vote of 64-29, the Senate passed an amendment to the highway
trust fund reauthorization bill on Monday that would reauthorize the

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=nfKZC8kVtqG5cMEE_f8vBg

Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) for five years; the amendment was sponsored
by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).  House
Republican leadership, however, refused to take up the Senate bill
before departing for its August recess, thereby keeping Ex-Im in limbo
until at least September. Although Ex-Im is funded through the end of
the fiscal year, the lack of authorization prohibits it from approving
financing of any new loans. It is unclear what-if
any-legislative vehicle will be available for the Ex-Im
reauthorization before September 30th, though the expected Continuing
Resolution is a possibility. As lawmakers return to their districts
for the August recess, constituent supporters and opponents of Ex-Im
are likely to be vocal on the issue.

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