U.S. Global Leadership Coalition » Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org Strengthening America's leadership in the world through a strategic investment in development and diplomacy. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:51:42 +0000 en hourly 1 Readying the FY13 Request http://www.usglc.org/2012/01/27/readying-the-fy13-request/ http://www.usglc.org/2012/01/27/readying-the-fy13-request/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:50:33 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=17347 President Obama will release his FY13 budget request on Monday, February 13, one week later than the February 6th deadline.  Please check back here on the afternoon of February 13th for USGLC’s comprehensive analysis of the FY13 International Affairs Budget.

As a result of the Super Committee’s failure to agree on a plan for $1.2 trillion in spending reductions late last year, a little known provision in August’s Budget Control Act triggered an adjustment to the discretionary spending caps for FY13 and beyond. Under the revised caps, FY13 discretionary spending is separated into two buckets – Defense and non-Defense programs – rather than security and non-security programs.  This means that starting in FY13, the International Affairs Budget, along with Homeland and Security, Veterans, and Intelligence, will reside under the “non-Defense” caps along with all other domestic programs.

]]> http://www.usglc.org/2012/01/27/readying-the-fy13-request/feed/ 0 Aiming for an Omnibus http://www.usglc.org/2011/11/29/aiming-for-an-omnibus/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/11/29/aiming-for-an-omnibus/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:54:31 +0000 Tod Preston http://staging.usglc.org/?p=16786 With an FY12 continuing resolution now in effect until December 16, House and Senate leaders are working hard to reconcile the FY12 appropriations bills from both chambers and sign them into law.  After passing one “minibus” measure of three appropriations bills, the goal is to finalize the remaining nine spending bills in the form of an omnibus FY12 appropriations measure before the December recess.

In terms of the International Affairs Budget, congressional negotiators need to resolve a $5 billion discrepancy between House and Senate levels for the FY12 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The Senate’s funding level of $44.64 billion for non-war related “base” programs in the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill is a significant improvement from the House’s level of $39.6 billion – which represents a devastating 20 percent cut from FY10 levels, with even deeper cuts to specific areas such as State and USAID operating expenses and multilateral development assistance.  The final FY12 allocation for international food aid in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, passed as part of the minibus, provides $1.65 billion for international food aid programs, a slight decrease from current spending but a significant improvement over the 28% cut from FY11 levels in the House bill.

]]> http://www.usglc.org/2011/11/29/aiming-for-an-omnibus/feed/ 0 FY12 State-Foreign Operations Senate Debate Priority Outreach List http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/31/action-alert-october-31-2011/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/31/action-alert-october-31-2011/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:55:15 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=16243

Priority Democrats to Speak on the Floor
  
Priority Republicans to Oppose Cutting Amendments
     
  • Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
    		•   
  • Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
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  • Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
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  • Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
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  • Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)
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  • Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
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  • Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
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  • Senator Dan Coats (R-IN)
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  • Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
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  • Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
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  • Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
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  • Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
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  • Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
    		•   
  • Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
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  • Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
    		•   
  • Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE)
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  • Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
    		•   
  • Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)
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  • Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
    		•
     
  • Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
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  • Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
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  • Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
    		•
       
  • Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
    		•


    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/31/action-alert-october-31-2011/feed/ 0     Wrapping Up http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/06/wrapping-up/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/06/wrapping-up/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:54:35 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=15780 With an FY12 continuing resolution now in effect until November 18, House and Senate leaders are working hard to reconcile the FY12 appropriations bills from both chambers and sign them into law.  The goal is to finalize all the spending bills, potentially in the form of an omnibus FY12 appropriations measure, prior to the November 23 deadline for the Super Committee to report on its recommendations for deficit reduction.

    In terms of the International Affairs Budget, congressional negotiators need to resolve a $5 billion discrepancy between House and Senate levels for the FY12 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, as well as a roughly $500 million difference between House and Senate levels for international food aid in the FY12 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.  The Senate’s funding level of $44.64 billion for non-war related “base” programs in the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill is a significant improvement from the House’s level of $39.6 billion – which represents a devastating 20 percent cut from FY10 levels, with even deeper cuts to specific areas such as State and USAID operating expenses and multilateral development assistance.  For international food aid in the FY12 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, the Senate provides $1.75 billion while the House provides $1.23 billion.

    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/10/06/wrapping-up/feed/ 0     Congress is Back in Action http://www.usglc.org/2011/09/07/congress-is-back-in-action/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/09/07/congress-is-back-in-action/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:54:29 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=15398 With Congress back from its August recess, action on the FY12 appropriations process will continue and the Special Joint Committee (also known as the “super committee”) will also begin deliberations. As part of the budget deal reached before recess, the committee is required to make recommendations by November 23 on how to reduce the deficit by an additional $1.5 trillion over ten years. As these deliberations get underway, the Senate will move forward with its FY12 appropriations process. While the Senate’s funding level for the [IAB] is expected to be notably higher than the House, which makes very deep cuts to non war-related programs, dramatic cuts for FY12 – on top of those already made in FY11 — remain very real threats. The outcome of House and Senate FY12 negotiations and the work of the Super Committee will be critical. Check out our timeline for a recap of action this year on the International Affairs Budget.

    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/09/07/congress-is-back-in-action/feed/ 0     So Where Do We Stand? http://www.usglc.org/2011/08/03/so-where-do-we-stand-2/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/08/03/so-where-do-we-stand-2/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:02:35 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=15148 Congress has adjourned for the August recess on the heels of several intense months of budget work and negotiations – all of which have very real impacts on the International Affairs Budget.  Before adjourning, Congress passed – and the President signed into law – a budget agreement to raise the debt ceiling.  Under this agreement, the International Affairs Budget could face very deep cuts given how security and non-security spending are capped for F12 and FY13.

    While the exact impact of this new budget agreement on the FY12 International Affairs Budget will be determined this fall by House and Senate appropriators, it is clear that continued deep cuts to non-war related development and diplomacy programs remain very real threats.  These cuts began earlier this year with the final FY11 spending agreement adopted in April, which cut 11.4% ($6.5 billion) from the International Affairs Budget relative to FY10 levels.  This troubling trend continued with the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee’s July approval of a $47.2 billion FY12 appropriations bill that makes dramatic reductions in non-war related programs – overall 20% below FY10 levels and more than 30% below current levels for some specific accounts.

    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/08/03/so-where-do-we-stand-2/feed/ 0     So Where Do We Stand? http://www.usglc.org/2011/05/17/so-where-do-we-stand/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/05/17/so-where-do-we-stand/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 15:31:00 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=13957 In April, the House-passed an FY12 budget resolution that cuts the International Affairs Budget 18% (to $41.0 billion) from FY11 and 27% from FY10 levels. In addition, the budget resolution did not classify the International Affairs Budget as part of national security spending, as was first done by President Bush in 2007.

    On May 11, the House Appropriations Committee announced the 302(b) appropriations allocations for FY12. While war-related programs (Overseas Contingency Operations-OCO) are fully funded, the allocation contains a deep cut to “core” programs with serious long-term funding implications.  The House’s $47.2 billion allocation for the State-Foreign Operations bill will result in a cut of $11.2 billion (-22%) to core, non-war related programs from FY10 enacted levels.

    The House is not scheduled to take any action on the State-Foreign Operations bill before a Subcommittee markup in late July, and any floor action would not occur before September.

    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/05/17/so-where-do-we-stand/feed/ 0     President’s FY 2012 Request Funds International Affairs Budget as Critical Part of National Security http://www.usglc.org/2011/02/14/president%e2%80%99s-fy-2012-request-funds-international-affairs-budget-as-critical-part-of-national-security/ http://www.usglc.org/2011/02/14/president%e2%80%99s-fy-2012-request-funds-international-affairs-budget-as-critical-part-of-national-security/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:37:24 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=12913 The USGLC applauds the Administration’s FY 12 International Affairs budget request as a critical investment in America’s national security.  At a time of intense pressure to cut spending and in the context of an overall freeze on non-security funding, the President has presented an International Affairs budget that protects America’s security interests and maintains U.S. global leadership while also encouraging more efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

    For a full analysis of the President’s FY 2012 International Affairs budget request, click here. 

    The President’s FY12 request comes amidst great uncertainty regarding FY11 spending levels, with votes expected this week in the House of Representatives to cut $100 billion from discretionary programs, including 19 percent from the International Affairs budget. Amendments to cut FY11 International Affairs funding even further are anticipated during this week’s House debate.

    Needless to say, the President’s FY12 budget request and the House’s FY11 proposal offer radically different approaches to funding the federal government.

    For the International Affairs budget, one of the most significant differences is how the Administration and House Appropriators categorize these programs. For the past five budgets, Republican and Democratic Administrations have grouped International Affairs within a cluster of spending categories that collectively make up the U.S. National Security budget.  This bipartisan recognition of the critical role our civilian agencies contribute to our national security mirrors the calls from military voices including Secretary of Defense Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mullen, and General David Petraeus.

    The Administration’s FY 2012 request continues this practice, exempting the International Affairs budget from its five-year freeze on non-security spending.  The House proposal categorizes these programs as non-security funding, subjecting them to deep – and in some cases devastating — cuts.

    The proposed levels in the House’s latest FY 2011 plan weaken the bipartisan achievement over the past several years to strengthen our civilian agencies, which have been widely viewed as underfunded and understaffed – and vital to our national interests.  Specifically, the proposed cuts would:

    • Jeopardize critical national security investments in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq.  Although the Appropriations Committee says its mark protects these priorities, the security assistance and civilian operations accounts from which Frontline State resources are drawn decrease by 19% from FY 2010 levels, raising questions as to whether U.S. national security interests will be adequately resourced.

     

    • Reverse efforts of the Bush and Obama Administration to bolster civilian capacity and assume responsibilities that have been carried out by our military at a higher cost.  The House mark cuts State Department and USAID operation funds by 14%.

     

    • Diminish America’s ability to uphold its moral obligation by responding quickly and effectively to global disasters, such the Haiti earthquake last year.  The House mark reduces U.S. humanitarian assistance programs by 41%.

     

    • Cripple the Feed the Future Initiative, a food security investment that will help millions lift themselves out of poverty and reduce the need for foreign assistance in the future.

     

    • Endanger lives by reducing resources for global health programs by 11%.

     

    • Constrain U.S. leadership and limit the ability to leverage resources from other nations that address common global challenges by cutting multilateral investments by 63% from FY2010.
    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2011/02/14/president%e2%80%99s-fy-2012-request-funds-international-affairs-budget-as-critical-part-of-national-security/feed/ 1     Budget Time http://www.usglc.org/2010/02/01/budget-time/ http://www.usglc.org/2010/02/01/budget-time/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:07:39 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=7899 At 10:00 am today, President Obama released to Congress his FY 2011 Budget request, which totals $3.8 trillion.  At 1:00 PM, Dep. Secretary of State Jack Lew will unveil the details of the International Affairs portion of the budget request in a briefing at the State Dept.  As previously reported, the International Affairs Budget – as part of the overall national security budget – will be excluded from the President’s proposed freeze on overall domestic discretionary spending.  The USGLC is anticipating a significant increase for the International Affairs Budget, the majority of which will be focused on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, with more modest increases for the remainder of the IAB.

    Update: We have a detailed analysis of the budget request here.

    ]]>     http://www.usglc.org/2010/02/01/budget-time/feed/ 0     Smart Power Momentum Continues to Grow http://www.usglc.org/2009/10/14/smart-power-momentum-continues-to-grow/ http://www.usglc.org/2009/10/14/smart-power-momentum-continues-to-grow/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:55:43 +0000 Tod Preston http://www.usglc.org/?p=4432 More than 500 representatives of businesses, NGOs, faith-based communities, along with national security and foreign policy exerts, packed the Willard Hotel in Washington this morning for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s launch of our “Putting Smart Power to Work” campaign and the first public dialogue on the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR).  Deputy Secretary of State and QDDR Chair Jacob Lew, along with his co-chairs, State Department Director of Policy and Planning Anne-Marie Slaughter and Acting USAID Administrator Alonzo Fulgham, spoke at the standing-room only event.

    This morning’s forum highlighted the growing consensus across the political and civilian-military spectrums about the need to bolster the smart power tools of development and diplomacy, including strengthening the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  Just yesterday, the Senate weighed in once more with a resolution on this matter as concern continues to grow over the lack of a nominee to head USAID.

    Sponsored by Senators Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL) and Cardin (D-MD), S. Res. 312 calls for a “highly capable and knowledgeable individual” to be nominated “with all expediency and exigency” to be USAID Administrator.  It also recommends that USAID “serve as the principal advisor to the President and national security organs of the U.S. Government” and that the number of full-time Foreign Service Officers at USAID “substantially and transparently increase.”

    In introducing the measure along with his Senate colleagues, Assistant Majority Leader Durbin noted that “As our development assistance grows, so does the need for an influential and transformative Administrator at USAID. Military and civilian leaders both agree: a strong development strategy is critical for our long term success.”

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