1.     Bipartisan Group of Senators Sponsors Letter to Senate Appropriators

As of press time, a bipartisan group of Senators led by John Kerry (D-MA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Kit Bond (R-MO), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) were about to begin circulating a letter to Senate colleagues urging Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) to fully fund the President’s $58.8 billion International Affairs Budget Request in the all-important 302(b) appropriations allocations. “We urge you to allocate for the International Affairs Budget no less than $58.8 billion, the amount requested by the Obama administration and in keeping with bipartisan calls from our nation’s foreign policy and military leaders to increase funding for development and diplomacy programs,” the Senators’ letter states.

2.     Senate Appropriators Mark Up FY 2010 War Supplemental

The Senate Appropriations Committee met on Thursday to mark up the Administration’s FY 2010 supplemental requests for the war, disaster assistance, and Haiti reconstruction. The supplemental bill approved by the committee totaled $58.8 billion, including $6.2 billion for State and Foreign Operations for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Haiti, roughly in line with the President’s total request for those programs. The Committee also provided $33.5 billion for the Defense Department and $5 billion to replenish the FEMA disaster-relief fund.

3.     Changes to House State-Foreign Ops Subcommittee Roster

On Wednesday the House Democratic Caucus adopted membership changes in Appropriations Subcommittee assignments, including the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee.  Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has joined the roster of eight Democrats on the Subcommittee, filling a vacancy created by the departure of Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), who takes a seat on the Interior and Environment Subcommittee.  The full list of Subcommittee members is available here.

4.     USGLC To Host World Trade Week Briefing on Capitol Hill

USGLC will be hosting a briefing on Capitol Hill for USGLC members and Hill aides on May 21st to mark World Trade Week.  Entitled “The FY 2011 International Affairs Budget: How It Benefits U.S. Businesses and the Economy,” the event will feature remarks by:

• Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL)
• USGLC Co-President Bill Lane, Washington Director – Governmental Affairs, Caterpillar
• USGLC Board Member Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel , Director, Global Security Policy, Lockheed Martin
• USGLC Board Member John Murphy, Vice President of International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The Congressional Briefing will highlight how development and diplomacy programs help job growth and the U.S. economy by promoting U.S. exports, building more reliable trading partners, protecting intellectual property rights, and advocating for American businesses abroad. With 1 out of 5 American jobs tied to international trade – and America’s fastest growing markets located in developing countries – the International Affairs Budget is a smart economic investment.