PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE September 16, 2011 WASHINGTON UPDATE Amendment cutting foreign assistance is defeated in Senate On Thursday

(9/15), the Senate considered a continuing resolution (CR) to provide continued funding when the current fiscal year (FY) 2011 ends Sept. 30. Since none of the appropriations bills for FY2012 have been passed yet, a CR is needed to allow funding to continue to flow to federal agencies when the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. The proposed CR would provide that funding at a level 1.5 percent below FY2011 funding, to adjust for the lower FY2012 discretionary spending caps set by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (the debt deal). At present, that part of the CR seems to be relatively uncontroversial. What is causing disagreement is the additional funds included in the bill for domestic disaster response. At issue is not so much whether to provide such additional funding, but rather whether the new spending should be offset by a reduction in another account. The alternative is to just deem it emergency spending and not provide an offset, which effectively just adds that amount to the federal debt. This was the path eventually chosen by the Senate, when it approved Senate Majority Leader Reids (D-NV) version of the bill by a vote of 62-37. Before doing so, the Senate had the chance to choose another path when it voted on an amendment from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that would have offset the additional domestic disaster assistance by rescinding all unobligated balances from FY2011 funding for USAID foreign assistance programs. If that wasnt enough to offset the disaster relief spending proposed, it would have offset the balance by rescinding what was needed from unobligated State Department FY2011 funding. The total rescinded would have been $6.9 billion. In the end, the Paul amendment was soundly defeated, by a vote of 78 to 20, in a rare encouraging moment for the international development and humanitarian assistance community. Among the senators not often counted as allies of foreign assistance but who voted against this cutting amendment were Republican Senators Alexander (R-TN), Ayotte (R-NH), Blunt (R-MO), Boozman (R-AR), Brown (R-MA), Chambliss (R-GA), Coats (R-IN), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (RME), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Crapo (R-ID), Graham (R-SC), Hatch (R-UT), Hoeven (RND), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Kirk (R-IL), Kyl (R-AZ), Lugar (R-IN), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Portman (R-OH), Risch (R-ID), Rubio (R-FL), and Snowe (R-ME). Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) was the only Democrat to support the amendment. In the brief debate before the vote, Senators Kerry, Graham, and Leahy spoke against the amendment, and Senator Paul spoke for it: Kerry: Let me make as clear as I can that this amendment would be absolutely devastating to our foreign aid and development programs. It would decimate agencies that have already taken huge funding cuts in fiscal year 2011, and it would completely undermine core national security priorities and humanitarian commitments.

Leahy: First, it is a terrible idea to cut critical national security programs to offset funding for emergency disasters. Disasters strike unexpectedly. The funding to recover and rebuild is not built into the budget. They strike Republican and Democratic States alike. To say in this: Well, why don't we cut out our State Department or our embassies, so we cut out the aid the United States gives to Haitiwe live in a global economythis amendment makes no sense. Graham: This is very important. We are broke at home, and there are a lot of things we could and should be doing for our states. I want to try to get our fiscal house in order, but we have to defend this country. The foreign operations account is national security in another form. If you just do not always want to bomb people, you need to help people help themselves, and the money in this account will allow people to stand up against terrorism and do things America has been doing for a long time; that is, helping people who really would be better off for the experience and have a kindness toward us. Paul: This amendment will not affect any funding to Israel. This funding will take away a percentage. It is about 10 percent of foreign aid. Foreign aid or welfare is opposed by 77 percent of Americans. Even if you thought it was a good idea to give welfare to foreign countries, you do not have it. So you are borrowing this money from China or you are printing it up and you are adding to the debt. Our country faces a debt crisis. We are borrowing $40,000 a second. I think it is unwise, when bridges are falling down and being closed in Louisville, Kentucky, to send money to other countries, particularly money we are borrowing and printing. Continued Senate debate and a final vote on the CR are expected next week. UPCOMING HEARINGS Hearing: Full committee hearing on the nominations of Robert Mandell to be ambassador to Luxembourg; Thomas Charles Krajeski to be ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Dan Mozena to be ambassador to the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Witness(es): Robert A. Mandell, to be Ambassador to Luxembourg Thomas Charles Krajeski, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain Dan W. Mozena, to be Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh When: Sept. 21, 10:00 a.m. Where: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building Contact: 202-224-4651 http://foreign.senate.gov/ Hearing: Countering Terrorist Financing: Progress and Priorities Committee: Senate Judiciary CommitteeCrime and Terrorism Subcommittee Witness(es): TBA When: Sept. 21, 10:15 a.m. Where: 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building Contact: 202-224-7703 http://foreign.senate.gov/

Hearing: Full committee hearing on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq Committee: Senate Armed Services Committee Witness(es): Leon Panetta, secretary of defense Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff When: Sept. 22, 9:30 a.m. Where: 216 Hart Senate Office Building Contact: 202-224-3871 www.armed-services.senate.gov Hearing: Full committee markup of H.R. 2699, to establish policies and procedures in the Peace Corps to provide for the safety and security of volunteers from rape and sexual assault; and H.R. 2337, to amend the Peace Corps Act to require sexual assault risk-reduction and response training, the development of sexual assault protocol and guidelines, the establishment of victims and advocates, the establishment of a Sexual Assault Advisory Council Committee: House Foreign Affairs Committee Witness(es): none When: Sept. 21, 9:30 a.m. Where: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Contact: 202-225-5021 www.foreignaffairs.house.gov

ARTICLES AND REPORTS BBC Sept. 14: Pakistan Floods: Oxfam Launches Emergency Aid Response Oxfam urgently calls on the international community to provide relief to the millions affected by Pakistans floods, and plans to launch a campaign in addition to its current work there. The UN has begun to feed 500,000 affected people; the U.S. has already sent food aid and is promising tents and medicine; and China has pledged $4.7 million for urgent humanitarian assistance. Sept. 14: Pakistan Flood Aid Hampered by Poor Access Humanitarian aid workers in Pakistan have expressed concern about their inability to access affected peoples in the Sindh province, one of the most flood-devastated regions in the country. At least 230 people have died, 300,000 displaced and over 5.5 million affected by the floods; more than a million homes have been destroyed; and $10 billion has been accrued in losses. Sept. 15: Big Drop in Children Under Five Dying, Says UN Report A report by UNICEF and the WHO states that annual death rate for children under 5 has plummeted from 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million last year, due primarily to better access to health care and immunization. Though much remains to be done, the UN declares that even the poorest regions have improved, including Sierra Leone, one of the worlds most destitute nations. Foreign Policy Sept. 9: Berman Unveils His Foreign Aid Reform Bill Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) unveiled a new, sweeping reform bill to make American foreign assistance more efficient, more effective, and better at serving U.S. interests abroad. The Global Partnerships Act of 2011 proposes to completely replace the decades-old Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which remains the framework of Americas foreign aid today.

New York Times Sept. 13: Militants Launch Attack on U.S. Embassy in Kabul In Kabul, heavily armed insurgents wearing suicide vests attacked the U.S. Embassy in the most direct assault since it opened nine years ago. The violence casts doubt on U.S. assertions that the Afghan government will soon be able to handle the insurgency alone, though Karzai vowed that the attacks would increase his peoples determination and not hinder the transition. Sept. 15: Famine Hits in a World Less Likely to Intervene As al-Shabab continues to block most humanitarian aid agencies access, UN warnings that the famine in Somalia will kill 750,000 people have not inspired action. During the Somali famine in the 1990s, the UN backed 25,000 American troops to subdue gunmen controlling aid access and feed the starving. Now, the response is far less than what is required to stem the famine. Washington Post Sept. 15: Islamists Emerge in Force in New Libya In the emerging post-Gaddafi era, Islamists have come forward in full political force to ensure of their representation in Libya. Yet amid efforts to establish a representative government, secularists and Islamists continue to clash, and internal rifts raise questions about Libyas budding leadership.

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