This reduces total Foreign Operationsfunding to roughly $16.18 billion. The enacted Foreign Operations appropriation provides $700 million for the Andean Regional counternarcotics initiative. (Note: This report does not discuss or include $7.48 billion in Foreign Operations funding approved in P.L. Introduction

The annual Foreign Operations appropriations bill is the primary legislativevehicle through which Congress reviews and votes on the U.S. foreign assistancebudget and influences major aspects of executive branch foreign policy makinggenerally. (1) It contains the largest share -- abouttwo-thirds -- of total internationalaffairs spending by the United States (see Figure 1 ). On February 13, Congress approved the conference report for theOmnibus Appropriation, and the President signed the measure on February 20 ( P.L.108-7 ). 108-11 , the Iraq War Supplemental. 4775 ), bringing amounts for FY2002 to $16.54 billion. Foreign Operations, the FY2003 Budget Resolution, and Sec. Foreign Operations received a $16.35 billion allocation from eachCommittee, about $230 million higher than the President's request at that time. Other bilateral reconstruction support for Kabul, they said, would bedetermined later. Other Key Elements of the FY2003 Request. Table 4. 107-206 ). Conference Agreement. The Foreign Operations portion,one of 11 regular appropriation measures included in the omnibus measure, setsfunding at $16.3 billion for FY2003, about $150 million less than requested and $125million and $250 million less than bills recommended earlier by the Senate andHouse, respectively ( H.J.Res. In order toreduce the total cost of the omnibus bill, conferees further added an across-the-boardrescission of 0.65% of all discretionary budget authority in the legislation. But conferees did not include an earmark for an additional $200million antiterrorism request. Supplemental FY2002 Foreign Operations Funding

The Administration sought $1.28 billion in additional FY2002 ForeignOperations funding, primarily to increase economic, military, and counter-terrorismassistance to so-called "front-line" states in the war on terrorism. a Enacted amounts include those provided in the regular FY2002 Foreign OperationsAppropriation ( P.L. security assistance. Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA). Terrorist Financing. The total U.S. As enacted, the FY2003 Foreign Operations provides roughly $2 billion for global health programs across all accounts, about $210 million, or 12% more thanrequested. 108-7 ). Other Colombian aid conditions provided in the enacted appropriation include: the continuation, as proposed in both House and Senate bills, of the cap of 400 on thenumber of U.S. civilian contractors and on the number of U.S. military personnel thatcan be funded during FY2003; requirement for the return of any helicopter procuredwith funding from this bill if it is used to aid or abet the operations of any illegalself-defense groups or illegal security cooperatives; and the requirement, similar tothe Senate-passed joint resolution, that the Secretary of State and the EPAAdministrator submit a report on the usage and safety of chemicals used in the aerialcoca fumigation program in Colombia before FY2003 funds can be used to purchasethose chemicals. Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S. Programs and Policy. Multilateral Development Banks: Issues for the 107th Congress . Congress adjourned, however,before completing action on these measures. d. On September 3, 2002, the Administration amended its original request, proposing additional fundsfor three accounts: development aid, from $2.86billion to $2.96 billion for HIV/AIDS programs; international disaster assistance, from $235.5 million to $285.5million for humanitarian aid forthe Palestinians; and the Economic Support Fund, from $2.29 billion to $2.49 billion for anti-terrorism aid to Israel.
The annual Foreign Operations appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. foreign aid budget and influences executive branch foreign policymaking generally. It contains the largest share -- about two-thirds -- of total U.S. internationalaffairs spending.
President Bush requested $16.45 billion (amended on September 3, 2002) for FY2003 Foreign Operations, an amount 7% higher than regular FY2002 appropriations, but slightly less than enactedFY2002 foreign aid appropriations when amounts ($1.2 billion) allocated from two supplementalappropriations are included. Combined with funds provided in the regular appropriation ( P.L.107-115 ), enacted Foreign Operations spending for FY2002 totaled $16.54 billion.
The FY2003 Foreign Operations proposal increased bilateral U.S. development assistance by $348 million (+13%), including an additional $230 million, or nearly one-half more for globalHIV/AIDS programs. Other major additions in the FY2003 budget included 15% more for the PeaceCorps, 17% more for the Andean Counternarcotics Initiative, 22% more for contributions tomultilateral development banks, and 11% more for military assistance, primarily to support countriesfacing terrorist threats. Overall, the FY2003 request included $4 billion in aid for "front-line" statesin the war on terrorism. In a few areas, the President's request cut spending: Export-Import Bankappropriations would fall by nearly one-quarter while assistance to Eastern Europe would drop by20%.
The 107th Congress adjourned before completing action on Foreign Operations and 10 other funding measures. On February 13, Congress agreed to a $16.3 billion Foreign Operations measure( H.J.Res. 2 ; P.L. 108-7 ). As enacted, Foreign Operations is about $150 million lessthan requested and $125 million and $250 million less than bills recommended earlier by the Senateand House, respectively. The conference agreement further provides for an across-the-boardrescission of 0.65% of all discretionary budget authority in the bill. This reduces total ForeignOperations funding to roughly $16.18 billion. (Note: This report does not discuss or include $7.48billion in Foreign Operations funding approved in P.L. 108-11 , the Iraq War Supplemental.)
Key Foreign Operations issues that attracted considerable debate included: size and composition of aid to help combat terrorism, including an FY2002 supplemental; development aid fundingpriorities, especially the adequacy of U.S. support for international HIV/AIDS programs andproposed reductions for other global health programs; funding for family planning programs andeligibility of the U.N. Population Fund; and assistance to Colombia, especially proposals to expandaid beyond counter-narcotics to a broader counter-terrorism focus.
Key Policy Staff