On July 21, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved, 23-20, the FY2012 Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2583).
The bill, sponsored by Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), would authorize $22.7 billion for programs at the State Department in FY2012. According to the committee press release and summary, the overall authorization is $6.4 billion below President Obama’s request for the programs and $4.8 billion below FY2010.
As amended, the bill would authorize $1.186 billion for international organizations, which is $395.454 million below FY2011. The bill would reinstate the 25 percent statutory cap on U.S. contributions to international peacekeeping activities and provide $1.735 billion in FY2011. The summary notes that the reduction of $148.549 million is attributable to the 25 percent statutory cap.
The measure would authorize $1.522 billion for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This amount is the same as FY2011, but $222.1 million less than the president’s request.
Overall bilateral economic assistance would be authorized at $21.209 billion. This amount is equal to FY2011 and is $2.491 billion less than the administration’s request. Bilateral economic assistance includes funding for Migration and Refugee Assistance, which would be authorized at $1.69 billion.
The summary acknowledges the role that microfinance and microenterprise has played in “creating and expanding economic opportunities by providing, among other things, access to financial markets and services to poor and vulnerable populations, particularly women and the rural poor” and notes that the “United States should support, wherever possible and appropriate, microfinance and microenterprise development and programs to help generate stable economic growth in developing countries.”
Funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation would be authorized at $900 million, the same as FY2011 and $225.1 million less than the administration’s request.
The bill would prohibit funding for foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or promote abortion, except in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. This provision is commonly known as the Mexico City policy.
The legislation would authorize $375 million for the Peace Corps, which is the same as FY2011, but nearly $65 million less than the president’s request. The measure also would take several steps to protect Peace Corps volunteers from violence while serving in foreign countries (see The Source, 5/16/11, for the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on this subject). The bill would amend the Peace Corps Act (P.L. 87-293) to require the director of the Peace Corps to consult with the State Department to “form a memorandum of understanding that specifies the duties and obligations with respect to the protection of Peace Corps volunteers serving in foreign countries.” Failure to do so within nine months of the bill’s enactment could result in the loss of funds to recruit or deploy volunteers.
The Peace Corps would be required to develop training for volunteers. Such training must be developed in consultation with experts, comply with best practices in the sexual assault field, and be tailored to specific countries.
Additionally, the bill would require the Peace Corps to develop a sexual assault protocol and guidelines for staff. The director also would be required to provide volunteers with an anonymous hotline and a sexual assault response team after such an attack. The Peace Corps would be required to review, track, and record all incidents of sexual assault.
The bill would provide victims’ advocates for volunteers who have been assaulted and establish a sexual assault advisory counsel, among other provisions.
The legislation would amend the Child Soldier Prevention Act (P.L. 110-457) to prohibit peacekeeping operations assistance to countries that recruit and use child soldiers.
During consideration of the bill, the committee adopted an amendment by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) to reduce contributions to international organizations by $395.454 million, from $1.582 billion to $1.186 billion, 23-17.
The committee rejected:
Additional details will become available once the committee issues its report on the bill.
