State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2011 Budget and Appropriations

Marian Leonardo Lawson
Analyst in Foreign Assistance

Susan B. Epstein
Specialist in Foreign Policy

Kennon H. Nakamura
Analyst in Foreign Affairs

The annual State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies appropriations bill has been the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in recent years, as Congress has not regularly considered these issues through a complete authorization process for State Department diplomatic activities since 2003 and for foreign aid programs since 1985. Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs has been steadily rising since FY2002, after a period of decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Ongoing assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as large new global health programs and rapidly increasing assistance to Pakistan, has kept the international affairs budget at historically high levels in recent years. The change of Administration in 2009 did not disrupt this trend.

On February 1, 2010, President Obama submitted a budget proposal for FY2011 that requests $58.49 billion for the international affairs budget, a 16% increase over the enacted FY2010 funding level. If $1.8 billion in "forward funding" of FY2010 priorities appropriated in FY2009 supplemental legislation is counted toward FY2010 rather than FY2009 totals, as it has by the Administration, the increase would be 12%. The Administration has also requested $4.46 billion in supplemental FY2010 foreign operations funds for activities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq and $1.7 billion for humanitarian relief and reconstruction effort in Haiti. If these supplemental funding requests were enacted, the FY2011 request would be 3% above the FY2010 enacted level, or represent level funding if the FY2009 forward funding is attributed to the FY2010 total.

This report focuses only on the $56.65 billion requested for programs and activities funded through the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which excludes some portions of the International Affairs request and includes funding for certain commissions requested as part of other budget functions. The Administration requested significant increases for building State and USAID capacity; aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq; and activities under the Administration's Global Health, Food Security, and Global Climate Change initiatives. Programs for which the Administration recommended reduced funding, compared with enacted FY2010 levels, are contributions to international organizations, commissions and foundations, and peacekeeping operations.

This report analyzes the FY2011 request, recent-year funding trends, and congressional action related to FY2011 State-Foreign Operations legislation.


Date of Report: July 2, 2010
Number of Pages: 32
Order Number: R41228
Price: $29.95

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