This presentation focuses on:
• How foreign assistance fits within in the Congressional budget process, the basics of foreign assistance funding
• How foreign assistance fits into the current budget debates
• How we can protect these programs – aid effectiveness and circle of protection SO THAT YOU CAN BETTER FIGHT AND DEFEND FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
11. 33 million people received HIV counseling and testing,114,000 infants to be born HIV-free thanks to preventative treatment
12. More than 3 million lives were saved through U.S. immunization programsWith the help of U.S. Foreign Assistance: Literacy rates are up 33 percent worldwide in the last 25 years The number of the world's chronically undernourished has been reduced by 50 percent.
15. Sets funding levelsAppropriation: Provides U.S. agencies the ability to spend money to implement foreign assistance programs Distributes funding between foreign assistance accounts
Foreign Assistance is considered discretionary spendingDiscretionary spending is optional spending that Congress decides on and funds through a yearly process.This is different from mandatory spending, which is spending that does not have to be approved every year and is required by lawThis means that foreign assistance funding can be changed from year to year and that funding level has to approved by congress.
HOW MUCH OF THE BUDGET ACUTALLY GOES TOWARDS FOREIGN ASSISTANCE? As the title of this workshop suggests, around 1% of the federal budget goes towards foreign assistance. 1.4% goes to Overall Foreign Assistance. This includes:Everything from Diplomatic expenses, such as embassy upkeep and security to Anti-Narcotrafficking support Funding for nuclear nonproliferation Some Military assistance, such a training and equipment0.6% goes to Poverty-Focused Development Assistance – these are programs within the 1.4% that address the needs of hungry and poor people. International Disaster Relief and Food Aid Development Assistance programs President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Global Health and Child Survival Millennium Challenge Account (MCC) Peace Corps
History:A recent poll showed that most people think that we spend 25% of our budget on foreign assistanceWhen asked what they think we should spend, they say 10% But this is the reality.
Here are some examples of what we stand to loose: Last year, 33 million people received HIV counseling and testing More than 114,000 infants to be born HIV-free thanks to preventative treatment for mothers to be. More than 3 million lives are saved every year through U.S.immunization programsWith the help of U.S. Foreign Assistance: Literacy rates are up 33 percent worldwide in the last 25 years primary school enrollment has tripled in that periodin the past 20 yearsthe number of the world's chronically undernourished has been reduced by 50 percent.
Authorization and Appropriations Simply put: Authorization is: - Changes the way assistance is done- Sometimes sets funding limits - An authorization bill is where reform to make foreign assistance more effective would be conductedAppropriations are: Distributes annual top line allocations for spending across programs for implementation. Provides the authority for government agencies to write the check.
ForForeign Assistance, authorization – that is establishing or changing the way a program works - is done by more than 6 committees in the Congress – 3 in the House and 3 in the Senate.For authorization, the committees that have jurisdiction over overall foreign assistance are:HFAC – House Foreign Affairs Committee SFRC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee House Agricultural Committee Senate Agricultural Committee
For Appropriations, meaning the the distribution of money within various foreign assistance accounts, the jurisdiction falls under the Appropriations Committee, which has several subcommittees that work on overall foreign assistance: - House and Senate SFOPs – State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee- House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee- House and Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations SubcommitteeSO, there are many legislative and political pieces at play when we talk about protecting funding for making foreign assistance more effective. This is something our panelists will discuss with us today.
As we look at these programs, an the people who benefit from them - the issue of effectiveness becomes critical In this budget environment, dollars have to be stretched – reforming assistance to make it more effective goes hand in hand. As budget debates heat up, the future viability of foreign assistance programs relies on their ability to demonstrate their effectiveness and value.
So, lets turn to our panelists and get some of their thoughts on how we can do more with 1%. Afterwards, we can take some questions form the audience. Potential transitions ….Question One: LARRY/ ERIN: Talking a little about the the appropriations process this year and why its different from other years. PORTER/MARTIN:Talk about the political dynamics around real reform legislation – Do you think that we will have a full FAA rewrite?As budget debates heat up, the future viability of foreign assistance programs relies on their ability to demonstrate their effectiveness and value.I talked about how FA saves lives, but what are some of the other reasons for why we need to protect theses programsI talked about how establishing or changing FA must be done through authorization processes – can you talk about some of the major changes that have come out of previous authorizing processes?