Author Archive
USGLC Applauds President’s FY 2011 International Affairs Budget
By Matt Corso at 1 February, 2010, 4:09 pm
Today, the USGLC applauded the Administration’s FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request as a critical investment in America’s national security, especially given the growing global challenges of the 21st century. The request is part of President Obama’s $3.8 trillion FY 2011 Budget request submitted to Congress today.
As part of the national security budget, the Administration [...]
Kerry and Lugar Introduce State Department Authorization Bill
By Matt Corso at 29 January, 2010, 4:53 pm
Today, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011. This authorization bill would “provide authority, policy guidance, and operational oversight to the State Department.”
Last year, under the direction of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), [...]
FY10 International Affairs Budget Finalized at $51 billion
By Matt Corso at 15 December, 2009, 3:14 pm
Congress cleared a Consolidated Appropriations spending bill on Sunday that completes the FY 2010 International Affairs Budget, providing a total of $50.9 billion. There are two ways to compare FY 2009 to the FY 2010 funding levels, creating some confusion. The FY10 figures represent a 4.1% cut from total funding for FY09. However, Congress added [...]
Read More >>FY10 International Affairs Budget in Home Stretch; Record-Breaking Signatures on FY11 Congressional Letter
By Matt Corso at 10 December, 2009, 3:10 pm
House and Senate negotiators met on Tuesday, December 8th, to finalize the details of a $446.8 billion FY10 Omnibus Appropriations measure, which would complete the FY10 International Affairs Budget. The measure includes the $48.76 billion FY10 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. When combined with the $1.9 billion in international food aid in the Agriculture bill, [...]
Read More >>USAID Nominee Outlines Top Priorities at Confirmation Hearing
By Matt Corso at 1 December, 2009, 2:57 pm
USAID Administrator Nominee Dr. Rajiv Shah testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his heavily attended confirmation hearing. Dr. Shah, who was nominated on November 10, is currently serving as Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics at the Department of Agriculture and previously worked for the Gates Foundation, where he focused on global development [...]
Read More >>Additional Names Added to Congressional Letter
By Matt Corso at 9 November, 2009, 2:39 pm
The UGLSC is enthused that even more Senators and Representatives signed onto the Congressional Letter to the President over the weekend, bringing the total number of signers to date to 11 Senators and 23 Representatives. Among them are Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; Rep. Michael Honda [...]
Read More >>Appropriations Slowly Reaching the Finish Line
By Matt Corso at 3 November, 2009, 11:45 am
Congress last week passed another continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government open until December 18th, attached to the fifth appropriations bill cleared by Congress – the $32 billion Interior-Environment bill. House and Senate Appropriators would like to finish the FY10 Appropriations bills sometime before Thanksgiving. But with little movement this week, reaching this [...]
Read More >>Another CR at the Ready; Bill and Melinda Gates in DC
By Matt Corso at 28 October, 2009, 11:02 am
As the healthcare debate and climate change legislation move towards center stage, House and Senate Conferees finalized the $32 billion Interior-Environment bill. The conference agreement includes another continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the federal government operating at non-emergency FY09 levels through December 18, giving Congress more time to finish the FY10 Appropriations process. So [...]
Read More >>Appropriations Gets another Week; House Hearings on Foreign Assistance and Food Security
By Matt Corso at 26 October, 2009, 11:38 am
This week, Congress plans to pass another continuing resolution (CR) that is expected to last until mid-December, as the current one is set to expire on Oct. 31st. The Senate plans to resume consideration of the Commerce-Justice-Science bill, while the House plans to appoint conferees for the Interior-Environment bill. With only 4 bills sent to [...]
Read More >>Completion of FY10 Approps Pushed to December; World Bank Caucus to Meet with Zoellick
By Matt Corso at 21 October, 2009, 10:05 am
Against the backdrop of the recent runoff election announcement in Afghanistan and with the all consuming health care debate set to begin next week, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) has indicated that the FY10 Appropriations process may not be wrapped until early December. Last night, the Senate passed the $42.8 billion Homeland Security bill, [...]
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