Previously, on November 14, 2005, President Bush signed into law a $20.94 billion Foreign Operations appropriation for FY2006 ( P.L. 109-102 ; H.R. 3057 ). The total, however, remains about $1.4 billion higher than the regular FY2005 foreign aid spending measure (excluding emergency and supplemental appropriations), and falls between the House-passed $20.27 billion level and the Senate-passed $22.16 billion amount. Consequently, State Department funds were removed from the Senate-passed legislation ( H.R. Foreign Operations Overview

Foreign Operations, the larger of the two components with a request of $22.8 billion for FY2006, is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews and votes on the U.S. foreign assistance budget and influences major aspects of executive branch foreign policy making generally. State Department/Broadcasting Overview

Budgets for the Department of State, including embassy construction and security and public diplomacy, are within the State Department and related programs title of the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce (SSJC) appropriations in the House and the State, Foreign Operations measure in the Senate. Although Foreign Operations appropriations had been rising for five consecutive years, amounts approved in FY2003 and FY2004 reached unprecedented levels compared with funding over the past 40 years. 95 and S.Con.Res. The House Appropriations Committee announced its subcommittee allocations on May 5, providing $20.27 billion to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, a level $2.55 billion, or 11%, below the Administration's recommendation. The Senate 302(b) allocations, issued on June 9, provide $31.67 billion to the Subcommittee, $1 billion, or 3.1% less than the combined State Department/Foreign Operations request. These amounts were 15.7% and 12.2%, respectively, higher than FY2005 amounts enacted in regular, non-supplemental appropriations. The combined Foreign Operations/State Department request of $32.67 billion was 14.6% larger than regular FY2005 funding. The FY2006 budget continued to highlight foreign aid in support of the war on terrorism as the highest priority, with a 9% increase in aid to the front-line states in the war on terrorism and 12% more funds for global counter-terror programs. This included $500 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, 150% higher than the request; Full funding for counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics accounts; Full funding for aid to key states of strategic interest, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, and Pakistan; $24 million for the President's Conflict Response Fund, less than the $100 million proposal; the House denied this request; Increasing slightly the refugee aid request to $900 million; Adding about $700 million for development and child survival programs beyond the President's request; Raising amounts for international family planning programs to $485 million ($450 million for bilateral activities and $35 million for UNFPA), modifying the "Kemp-Kasten" restrictions on UNFPA eligibility, and adding text that would essentially overturn the President's "Mexico City policy" regarding abortion. 2862 ). The net Foreign Operations total falls $2.1 billion, or 9.3% below the President's request, and represents by far the largest cut in regular (non-supplemental) Foreign Operations spending relative to the Administration's proposal during the Bush Administration. The conference agreement on H.R. 1268 ). Congressional Action

H.R. In the Senate, H.R.
The annual Foreign Operations appropriations bill in the House, and the State, Foreign Operations measure in the Senate are the primary legislative vehicles through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budgets and influences executive branch foreign policy making generally. They contain the largest shares—the House bill, about two-thirds; the Senate bill, about 97%—of total U.S. international affairs spending.
Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs have been rising for five consecutive years, while amounts approved in FY2004 reached an unprecedented level compared with the past 40 years. Emergency supplementals enacted since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to assist the front line states in the war on terrorism, Afghanistan and Iraq reconstruction, and for State Department operations and security upgrades have pushed spending upward.
The President sought $22.8 billion for Foreign Operations and $9.8 billion for State Department and Related Agencies appropriations. These amounts were 15.7% and 12.2%, respectively, higher than FY2005 amounts enacted in "regular," non-supplemental appropriations. The combined State/Foreign Operations request of $32.67 billion was 14.6% larger than regular FY2005 funding. Including the $4.55 billion FY2005 supplemental (H.R. 1268; enacted on May 11), the FY2006 combined request was slightly smaller (-1.1%) than the total appropriation of $33.05 billion for FY2005.
A major challenge for Congress in considering the President's Foreign Operations and State Department spending proposals has been the tightening budget environment. The FY2006 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 95) set international affairs spending 7% below the President's request. The House Appropriations Committee's spending allocation among all spending bills provided $20.27 billion for Foreign Operations, 11.2% less than the proposal. The Senate Committee allocation of $31.67 billion for the combined State Department/Foreign Operations measure was $1 billion, or 3% below the request. Other key issues for congressional review were foreign aid in support of the war on terror, the Millennium Challenge Account, HIV/AIDS funding, allocations among "core" development programs, public diplomacy, educational exchange programs, rising demands for U.N. peacekeeping contributions, and democracy promotion activities.
On November 14, President Bush signed a $20.94 billion Foreign Operations appropriation for FY2006 (P.L. 109-102; H.R. 3057). The bill is nearly $1.9 billion, or 8% below the Administration's request. The total falls closer to the House-passed $20.27 billion level than to the Senate's $22.16 amount. State Department funds included in the Senate version of H.R. 3057 became part of the conference on H.R. 2862, the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce spending bill.
This report will be updated to reflect congressional action on the legislation.