; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. (d) Authorization of appropriations (1) Foreign military financing Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for Foreign Military Financing funding for fiscal year 2017, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 to carry out this section. (2) International military education and training Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for International Military Education and Training funding for fiscal year 2017, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State $2,300,000 for fiscal year 2017 to carry out this section. 8. Assistance to support democracy and civil society in Tunisia (a) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) Tunisia represents one of the most promising opportunities for a pluralistic and participatory democracy in the Middle East and North Africa; and (2) the success of Tunisia’s peaceful pursuit of democracy is an inspiration to, and model for, other countries in the region, and should be fully supported by the United States as it works to aid Tunisia to consolidate and build upon its democratic gains. (b) Assistance authorized The Secretary of State, acting directly or through nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, or related organizations, is authorized to provide assistance to support democracy and civil society in Tunisia, by— (1) continuing the support of political party development and improved communications with constituents; (2) increasing the capacity of the Tunisian Parliament and ministries to perform their mandated functions including by providing the infrastructure necessary to modernize official communications and records keeping; (3) improving the public affairs functions of the Government of Tunisia to communicate more effectively with citizens across the country