[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 111 (Friday, July 5, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E693-E694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2024

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the State, 
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill.
  This legislation houses some of the most important diplomacy, 
development, and defense initiatives for the United States and the 
world at-large. The programs that are funded through this bill serve 
some of the neediest populations in the world, helping millions of 
people gain access to clean water, safe shelter, nutritious food, and 
democracy development.
  Unfortunately, the bill before us today abdicates U.S. leadership in 
all of these areas. It eliminates funding for the United Nations and 
underfunds operations and staffing of the State Department and the U.S. 
Agency for International Development. It cuts funding for the Peace 
Corps and cuts a staggering $362 million from programs that improve 
maternal and child health around the globe.
  This bill ignores the existential threat of climate change, which 
affects the lives and livelihoods of families around the world, 
including here in America. Climate change is a known

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threat to our national security, yet there is no funding to help 
communities adapt to drought, rising coastlines, or extreme heat, and 
no funding to stop deforestation or recurring coastal flooding. 
Additionally, there is no support for adapting to renewable energy.
  Even in areas where we can usually find bipartisan agreement, this 
bill falls short. For example, the Feed the Future program, which has 
historically enjoyed bipartisan support across multiple 
administrations, received a $50 million cut. This program has helped 
feed 32 million children worldwide in the last year alone and has 
helped their families learn to farm sustainably and stand on their own. 
This cut will have devastating impacts on children and families that 
struggle with malnutrition and food instability.
  This is a deeply political bill that will diminish America's 
leadership on the worlds stage, make it more difficult for us to 
support our allies and deter our adversaries, and will ultimately 
jeopardize our national security. For these reasons, I ask that my 
colleagues vote against it.

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