[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3063-S3066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations 
Act, which President Obama signed yesterday, contains $36.6 billion in 
discretionary budget authority for the Department of State and Foreign 
Operations, which is the same amount approved by the Appropriations 
Committee in July 2008.
  This represents a $1.6 billion decrease from former President Bush's 
budget request of $38.2 billion. I repeat--this legislation is $1.6 
billion below what former President Bush recommended in his budget.
  It is a $3.8 billion increase from the fiscal year 2008 enacted 
level, not counting supplemental funds, and $968 million above the 
fiscal year 2008 level including fiscal year 2008 supplemental and 
fiscal year 2009 bridge funds.
  The State and Foreign Operations portion of the omnibus does not 
contain any congressional earmarks. It does, as is customary and 
appropriate, specify funding levels for authorized programs, certain 
countries, and international organizations like the United Nations and 
the World Bank.
  I want to thank Chairman Inouye, President Pro Tempore Byrd, and 
Ranking Member Cochran for their support throughout this protracted 
process. And I want to thank Senator Gregg, who as ranking member of 
the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee worked with me to produce 
this bipartisan legislation that was reported by the Appropriations 
Committee with only one dissenting vote.
  It was imperative that we enacted this legislation. The alternative 
of a year-long continuing resolution would have been devastating for 
the operations of the State Department and our embassies, consulates 
and missions around the world, and for programs that support a myriad 
of United States foreign policy interests and that protect the security 
of the American people. Many Senators on both sides of the aisle were 
encouraged that Senator Clinton was nominated for and confirmed to be 
Secretary of State. If we

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want her to succeed we must provide the tools to do so. This 
legislation supports her highest priority of rebuilding the civilian 
capabilities of our government.
  The omnibus provides $7.8 billion for Department of State operations, 
a decrease of $274 million below former President's Bush's request and 
$1.2 billion above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level, not including 
supplemental funds. Counting emergency funds provided in fiscal year 
2008 for personnel, operations and security costs in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, the omnibus provides a 5.6-percent increase.
  These increases are attributed to a major investment in personnel, 
primarily to replace worldwide positions that were redirected to Iraq 
and invest particularly in countries of growing importance in South 
Asia. The omnibus supports the request of 500 additional positions, 
much of which will help posts left depleted, some by 25 percent, due to 
positions shifting to Iraq during the last 5 years. In addition, the 
omnibus recommends $75 million for a new initiative to train and deploy 
personnel in postconflict stabilization. These critical investments 
would have been lost under a year-long continuing resolution.
  The omnibus provides $1.7 billion for construction of new secure 
embassies and to provide security upgrades to existing facilities, 
which is $178 million below former President Bush's request. He had 
proposed a 41-percent increase which we did not have the funds to 
support. But an increase of $99.5 million, or 13 percent, above the 
fiscal year 2008 enacted level is provided considering the significant 
threats our embassies faced last year alone, from Yemen to Belgrade. 
Even this lesser increase for embassy construction and security 
upgrades would be lost under a year-long continuing resolution.
  Specifically, the omnibus provides $4.24 billion for diplomatic and 
consular programs, which funds State Department personnel. This is an 
increase of $464 million, or 12 percent, above the fiscal year 2008 
enacted level and $42 million above the President's request. This funds 
a major investment in personnel to increase language training and 
expand the number of personnel in regions of growing importance. 
Senators on both sides of the aisle have strongly endorsed this 
investment, but it would not be funded under a continuing resolution.
  In fact, under a year-long continuing resolution the State Department 
would not have the resources to fund the staff currently serving at 267 
posts overseas, due to exchange rate losses and the increased cost of 
security overseas. That means the United States would have even less 
representation than we do now, which none of us here would find 
acceptable.
  The omnibus provides $1.1 billion for worldwide security protection 
for noncapital security upgrades, an increase of $355 million above the 
fiscal year 2008 enacted level and $46 million below the request. This 
account funds all the Diplomatic Security agents at every post 
worldwide, armored vehicles, and training--all investments which, 
again, have bipartisan support. The increases would fund additional 
personnel for protection at high-threat embassies and oversight of 
security contractors in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel-West Bank. This 
would not be possible under a continuing resolution.
  Senators of both parties have expressed strong support for expanding 
international exchange programs, particularly in predominantly Muslim 
countries. The omnibus provides $538 million for education and cultural 
exchanges, which is $15.5 million above the President's request and an 
increase of $36.6 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. 
Those additional funds would be lost under a continuing resolution at 
the moment when the U.S. has the greatest opportunity to reintroduce 
our country, our people, and our values to the rest of the world.
  The same is true of public diplomacy. The omnibus provides $394.8 
million for the State Department's public diplomacy activities, 
including outreach, media and programs in embassies to develop 
relationships with people in host countries. This is $33.9 million 
above the fiscal year 2008 level, which would not be available under a 
continuing resolution.
  The omnibus provides $1.7 billion for construction of new secure 
embassies and maintenance of existing facilities, a $280 million 
increase above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level and $83 million below 
the President's request. Of this amount, $801 million is for embassy 
maintenance, $40 million less than the request and $46 million above 
the fiscal year 2008 enacted level.
  The omnibus provides $770 million for planning, design and 
construction of new embassies and office buildings worldwide, $178 
million below the request and $99 million above the fiscal year 2008 
enacted level. Any Senator who has traveled abroad has seen the need to 
replace insecure and old embassies. There is already a long waiting 
list, and it would be even longer under a continuing resolution.
  Former President Bush's budget underfunded the U.S. assessed 
contribution to U.N. Peacekeeping in fiscal year 2009 by assuming a 
reduction in every mission except Sudan. That was pie in the sky. The 
cost of most of these missions is increasing, not decreasing. The 
omnibus provides $1.5 billion for U.N. Peacekeeping, an increase of 
$295 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level and $20 million 
above the President's request. However, compared to the total amount 
enacted in fiscal year 2008, the bill is $173 million below the 
operating level in fiscal year 2008 including supplemental funds. These 
are costs we are obligated to pay by treaty. They support the troops of 
other nations in Darfur, the Congo, Lebanon, Haiti, and a dozen other 
countries.
  The omnibus provides $1.5 billion for contributions to international 
organizations, the same as the President's request and $186 million 
above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. The account funds the U.S. 
assessed dues to 47 international organizations, including NATO, IAEA, 
OECD, the U.N. and others for which, as a member of the organization, 
the U.S. is obligated by treaty to contribute. We either pay now or we 
pay later.
  The omnibus provides $709.5 million for the Broadcasting Board of 
Governors, an increase of $39.5 million above the fiscal year 2008 
enacted level and $10 million above the former President Bush's budget 
request. This includes funding for languages which the former 
administration proposed to eliminate in fiscal year 2009, such as 
Russian, Georgian, Kazak, Uzbek, Tibetan and the Balkans, where freedom 
of speech remains restricted and broadcasting programs are still 
necessary to provide unbiased news.
  For USAID, the omnibus provides $808.6 million for operating 
expenses, $41.4 million above former President Bush's request and $179 
million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. This continues 
efforts begun last year to address the serious staff shortage at USAID, 
but under a continuing resolution USAID's staff problems would continue 
to worsen. It would not be able to hire additional staff for 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, or for other posts where there is not 
sufficient oversight of contracting and procurement. It is a crisis 
situation that I and Senator Gregg are determined to fix.
  For bilateral economic assistance, the omnibus provides a total of 
$17.1 billion, $1.3 billion below former President Bush's request and 
$623.3 million above the fiscal year 2008 level. We received requests 
from most Senators--Democrats and Republicans--for funding from within 
this account, totaling far more than we could afford. A continuing 
resolution would have made it impossible to fund many, if not most, of 
those requests.
  A good example is global health. The omnibus provides $7.1 billion 
for global health and child survival, an increase of $757 million above 
the request and $737 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. 
A continuing resolution would be devastating for these life-saving 
programs.
  A total of $495 million is provided for child survival and maternal 
health, an increase of $125 million above former President Bush's 
request and $49 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. These 
funds are for programs that directly decrease child and maternal 
mortality from preventable diseases, like malaria, polio and pneumonia. 
Under a continuing resolution USAID would not be able to expand its 
malaria control programs to other countries in Africa with a high 
incidence of malaria, which kills a million people, mostly African 
children, every year.

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  The omnibus provides $300 million for safe water programs, including 
increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation, which is a key 
factor in improving public health.
  Former President Bush proposed a steep cut in funding for family 
planning and reproductive health programs, even though they are the 
most effective means of reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions. 
The omnibus, instead, provides a total of $545 million from all 
accounts for family planning and reproductive health including $50 
million for the U.N. Population Fund, which is $82 million above the 
fiscal year 2008 level. A continuing resolution would eliminate those 
additional funds, and the number of unintended pregnancies and 
abortions would increase.
  The omnibus provides a total of $5.5 billion for programs to combat 
HIV/AIDS, $388 million above former President Bush's request and $459 
million above the fiscal year 2008 level. Of this amount, $600 million 
is provided for the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, which is $400 
million above the request. Additionally within the total, $350 million 
is provided for USAID programs to combat HIV/AIDS, which is $8 million 
above the request.
  These additional funds, which pay for life-sustaining antiretroviral 
drugs, prevention and care programs, would be lost under a continuing 
resolution, to the detriment of 1 million people who would receive 
life-saving treatment this year. With this funding 2 million additional 
HIV infections would be prevented this year. Instead of 10 million 
lives we are saving today, we have the opportunity to save 12 million 
people. We have the opportunity with this bill to save 1 million more 
orphans or vulnerable children who are either infected with HIV or have 
been orphaned because a parent died from HIV/AIDS. Why would we not 
make this investment this year?
  The development assistance account funds energy and environment 
programs, microcredit programs, private enterprise, rule of law, trade 
capacity, and many other activities that Senators on both sides of the 
aisle support. The omnibus provides $1.8 billion for development 
assistance which is $161 million above former President Bush's request 
and $176 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level.
  The omnibus provides $350 million for international disaster 
assistance, $52 million above the request and $30 million above the 
fiscal year 2008 enacted level, excluding supplemental funds. These 
funds enable the United States to put its best face forward when 
disaster strikes, as it did with the tsunami, the earthquake in 
Pakistan, floods in Central America, and famine in Africa.
  The omnibus provides $875 million for the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation. This is $1.3 billion below the request and $669 million 
below the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. This reflects the view of the 
House and Senate that the Congress supports the MCC but wants to see a 
slowdown in new compacts, while $7 billion in previously appropriated 
funds are disbursed, and while the new administration decides how it 
wants to fund the MCC in the future. The agreement provides sufficient 
funds to continue current operations and to commence two new compacts 
of $350 million each.
  For the Peace Corps, the omnibus provides $340 million, which is $9 
million above the fiscal year 2008 level. Those additional funds would 
have been lost under a continuing resolution.
  The omnibus provides $875 million for international narcotics control 
and law enforcement, which is $327 million below the request and $321 
million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. Those additional 
funds for programs in Latin America, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and many 
other countries would be lost under a continuing resolution.
  There is a total of $405 million for continued support of the Merida 
Initiative, including $300 million for Mexico and $105 million for the 
countries of Central America. The fiscal year 2008 supplemental 
included $400 million and $65 million, respectively. We are all 
increasingly alarmed by the spread of drug-related violence and 
criminal gangs in Mexico, but under a continuing resolution there would 
be nothing for the Merida Initiative.
  Migration and refugee assistance is funded at $931 million, which is 
$167 million above former President Bush's request and $108 million 
above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. That $108 million would be 
lost under a continuing resolution. This amount is already $557 million 
below what was provided in fiscal year 2008 including supplemental and 
fiscal year 2009 bridge funds. These funds are used for basic care and 
protection of refugees and internally displaced persons, whose numbers 
are not expected to decrease this year.
  The omnibus provides $4.9 billion for military assistance and 
peacekeeping operations, $173 million below former President Bush's 
request but $212.6 million above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. 
The omnibus assumes $170 million provided in the fiscal year 2008 
supplemental as fiscal year 2009 bridge funds for military assistance 
to Israel, making the total amount for Israel equal to the President's 
request, $2.55 billion. The additional $212.6 million for other 
important bilateral relationships would be lost under a continuing 
resolution.
  For contributions to the multilateral development institutions, which 
we owe by treaty, the bill provides $1.8 billion. That is $503 million 
below the former President's request and $251 million above the fiscal 
year 2008 enacted level. A continuing resolution would have put us 
another $251 million in arrears, in addition to the arrears we already 
owe.
  The omnibus provides the amounts requested by the former President 
for the Export-Import Bank, an increase of $26.5 million above fiscal 
year 2008. By not passing this legislation, these additional resources 
would not have been available to make U.S. businesses competitive in 
the global marketplace. At this time of economic downturn at home we 
should be doing everything we can to support U.S. trade.
  These are the highlights of the fiscal year 2009 State and Foreign 
Operations portion of the omnibus that passed by a vote of 62-38. It 
contains funding to meet critical operational costs and programmatic 
needs which support U.S. interests and protect U.S. security around the 
world.
  A handful of our friends in the minority spent days criticizing the 
omnibus because it contains earmarks. Apparently they would have 
preferred that unnamed, unelected bureaucrats make all the decisions 
about the use of taxpayer dollars. In fact, the total amount of the 
$410 billion omnibus that Members of Congress--Democrats and 
Republicans--have earmarked for schools, fire and police departments, 
roads, bridges, hospitals, scientific research, universities and other 
organizations and programs in their states and districts which would 
not otherwise receive funding, is less than 1 percent. That is what the 
aggrieved speeches were about. A whopping 1 percent.
  Some Senators complained that the omnibus--all but a small fraction 
of which would fund the budget requests of former President Bush--is 
more than we can afford. Those are the same Senators who, year after 
year, rubberstamped billions and billions of borrowed dollars to fund 
an unnecessary war and reconstruction programs in Iraq that were 
fraught with waste and abuse.
  Some say that the intervention of the Economic Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act is why they opposed the omnibus. Regarding the 
Department of State and Foreign Operations, 99.6 percent of the omnibus 
has no correlation whatsoever to what was funded by the Recovery Act. 
This portion of the omnibus funds all of the United States' activities 
overseas. All of the key new investments I have described would not 
have been possible under a year-long continuing resolution.
  The funding for State and Foreign Operations in the omnibus amounts 
to about 1 percent of the total budget of this country. However one 
views the Economic Recovery Act, the damage that a year-long continuing 
resolution would have caused to the functions of our embassies, 
consulates and missions, and to the foreign service officers who serve 
the American people around the world, would have been devastating. The 
damage to programs would be measured in lives.
  We have seen the image of our country battered beyond recognition. 
The values our country was founded on were ignored, ridiculed, and 
diminished. Democrats and Republicans

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alike recognize that the United States needs to reinvigorate its 
engagement in the world, particularly through rebuilding alliances and 
using diplomacy more effectively. The omnibus puts our money where our 
mouths are. The alternative would have been to retract, and to invite 
others to fill the vacuum. That might save money in the short term, but 
it would have cost us dearly in the future.

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