Senate Appropriations Announces FY 2012 International Affairs Budget

The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations announced last week an allocation of $44.6 billion for the State and Foreign Operations budget in fiscal year 2012.  This figure is $3.5 billion less than was allocated in FY 2011 and approximately $6 billion less than requested by President Obama.  The Senate figure, however, is $5 billion more than the House’s proposal. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Daniel Inouye (D-HI) said the subcommittees will try to complete their versions before the fiscal year ends on September 30.

Inouye added that his ”colleagues on this Committee recognize that these cuts are not easy.  Valuable programs have been curtailed to live within these lower levels.  Furthermore, we all understand that the debt ceiling bill also requires this Committee to cut an additional $1.2 trillion in funding over the next ten years when compared to the CBO baseline.  So our work is just beginning.”

Once the Senate subcommittees finish their bills, they must discuss and reconcile them with the House recommendations.  Wendy Sherman, nominee for Undersecretary of State for political affairs, said that if the House version were to move forward, Secretary Hillary Clinton would recommend a veto.