Budget Debates Move to Capitol Hill
Last week cabinet secretaries began making their pitches to Congress on why they should support the President’s FY 11 budget request. Secretary Clinton was on-hand before four committees to begin discussions on President Obama’s $58.5 billion FY11 International Affairs Budget request, and bipartisan support was expressed for her efforts to increase U.S. global engagement on a variety of issues. In her opening statement to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Secretary Clinton said, “The budget we are presenting today is designed to protect America and Americans and to advance our interests and values,” and throughout the hearings she emphasized the national security, economic prosperity, and global leadership benefits of the programs funded by the International Affairs Budget.
Highlighting how small the International Affairs Budget is, Senate Foreign Relations Chair John Kerry (D-MA) reiterated it “represents a 2.8% increase over FY 2010 amounts including this year’s supplemental. This money is a fraction of a fraction—just 1.4% of the overall budget.” Commenting on how important this funding is for preventing problems before they occur, Ranking Member Lugar (R-IN) said, “Beyond areas of heavy diplomatic and military presence, the most critical expenditures are those that prevent problems from spiraling into crises.”
Clinton focused on three areas where increased investments will be critical:
- Enhanced Civilian Capacity Commenting on the importance of getting more civilians on the ground in Frontline states, Clinton said, “We also need to give our civilian experts the resources to do the jobs we are asking them to do.” Clinton reiterated the U.S. has the finest troops in the world, and that strong civilian capacity is needed to work alongside them.
- Investing in Development Clinton called global health , food security, climate change, and humanitarian assistance, as well as a commitment to focus on women and girls, “Investments [that] are a key part of our effort to get ahead of crises rather than just responding to them.” Funding these programs will give “the American people a strong return on their investment.”
- Personnel Finally, she emphasized the importance of recruiting, training, empowering, and equipping personnel at USAID and the State Department to carry out their missions.
In responding to questions about the reviews of development and diplomacy currently underway, Clinton indicated the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) would be completed by the end of the summer and that one of its goals was to better define the mission and the resources needed to fulfill that mission. In relationship to the Presidential Study Directive on Global Development (PSD), she stated they were working hard to coordinate both reviews to ensure the general concepts articulated in both would be Administration-wide.
Secretary Clinton and Members of Congress acknowledged that even during a time of economic hardship, the International Affairs Budget plays a crucial role in promoting U.S. interests, security, and leadership around the world. “Our agenda is ambitious,” Clinton told both committees, “but I think the times demand it. America is called to lead – and we need the tools and resources to exercise our leadership wisely and effectively.”
Read Excerpts from Secretary Clinton’s Hearings
Remarks from Congressional Leaders:
Chairman John Kerry (D-MA)
“The international affairs budget is the backbone of our civilian efforts worldwide…I strongly support robust funding for the international affairs budget.”
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
“Beyond areas of heavy diplomatic and military presence, the most critical expenditures are those that prevent problems from spiraling into crises. In my judgment WMD proliferation, energy insecurity, and global food shortages are the underlying threats most likely to create the type of instability that can lead to conflict…”
Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA-28)
“I, and I hope my colleagues on this committee, will do everything we can to maintain the overall funding level because we recognize – as you do – that diplomacy and development are integral to our national security.”
