Conrad to Cut IAB Request
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) is expected to cut the President’s FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request by $4 billion, or 7%, when his Committee begins its mark-up this afternoon. This is unfortunately consistent with his actions over the past several years of cutting vital funding for development and diplomacy programs and is particularly disappointing given that a bipartisan group of 31 Senators on Monday wrote to Conrad and Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH) expressing their support of the President’s $58.5 billion request. It also ignores the calls from military leaders such as Secretary of Defense Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Admiral Michael Mullen to boost funding for these “smart power” programs.
