Subject: International Affairs Budget Update 12/11/15
From: "Lindsay Plack, USGLC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:30:47 -0600

USGLC

International Affairs Budget Update
December 11, 2015

1. Short-Term CR Allows Omnibus Negotiations to Continue

In order to buy more time to complete negotiations on the omnibus
package, which stalled during the week, Congress has passed a five-day
Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through
midnight next Wednesday, December 16th.  Both chambers have
cleared the short-term CR, which is on its way to the
President's desk for signature.  The measure buys
additional time for congressional leadership to finish negotiating the
omnibus, which has been tied up over disagreements on several policy
riders, including those related to the resettlement of Syrian refugees
in the United States.  
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=_KUwu7tjwsHdTN22k_UCrQ

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) has said he
is hopeful the omnibus can be completed before Wednesday's
deadline as Congress is expected to adjourn for the holidays on
Friday, December 18th at the latest.

As we've been reporting, due to the parameters of the two-year
budget deal reached in October, we expect the State-Foreign Operations
Appropriations bill will receive additional Non-Defense Overseas
Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, bringing the OCO account to
approximately $15 billion in FY16.  It remains unclear how
Appropriators will allocate the additional Non-Defense Discretionary
base budget funding, i.e. whether base State-Foreign Operations will
receive a proportional increase, remain flat, or potentially be cut.
 Because of the significant increase in OCO funding and new
flexibility within that account to fund programs not necessarily
associated with traditional emergency programs, it is possible that
base funding will be cut.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ixf7zy7yN827NgMc57hUsQ

USGLC has continued to strongly urge lawmakers to protect
International Affairs programs by providing at least FY15 funding for
base programs, in addition to an increase in OCO funding.  An
over-reliance on OCO-given the temporary nature of the
account-significantly threatens funding for programs that
address long-term, enduring challenges.  USGLC will release a
comprehensive analysis of the State-Foreign Operations portion of the
omnibus as soon as it is made available.  

2. House Passes Foreign Aid Transparency Bill

On Tuesday, the House unanimously passed the Foreign Aid Transparency
and Accountability Act of 2015 (H.R. 3766).  During debate on the
floor, lead sponsor
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=vThhGb3tc_1A7vImZlsqFA

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=1EwVaDxLG3Cl_SY_QqmZrQ

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) stated that the bill "will give us the tools
to make foreign aid programs efficient and effective," by
establishing transparent accounting of foreign assistance.  Lead
co-sponsor Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) stated, "Perhaps, with
more information, we can dispel the commonly held belief that 26
percent of our budget goes to foreign aid, when... it is actually
less than 1 percent."  USGLC issued a press release
applauding the bill's passage and urging the Senate to pass the
companion bill (S. 2184) sponsored by

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=LWZDeYQj2mZL3eG4IvXnzw
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=yfBuOgAlqRh6cLBV19Jq5w

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) before the end of
the year.  Senate leadership is working to bring the bill up for
a vote before the Senate recesses for the holidays.

U.S. Global Leadership Coalition

1129 20th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036

Unsubscribe | USGLC.org
http://action.usglc.org/site/CO?i=fVzrg1W_bFOWctOIiIKeX0kReRgN7HOU&cid=0
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2ycSNczTo97lwlNqaKj_HA

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=56Ow56EaEXLl9oUbpmXPZQ