	Background

Budgets for the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), aswell as U.S. contributions to United Nations (U.N.) International Organizations and Peacekeepingare all within the Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agency (CJS) appropriations. On April 1, 1999, largely for budgetary savings and streamlining U.S. foreign policy,consolidation of the foreign policy agencies began with the merger of the functions of the ArmsControl and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) into the State Department; as of October 1, 1999, thefunctions of the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), excluding international broadcasting, also camedirectly under the State Department. Although not part of the CJS appropriations, the U.S. Agencyfor International Development (USAID) was required to reorganize and come directly under theauthority of the Secretary of State by April 1, 1999. The Administration's FY2001 State Department and International Broadcasting budgetrequest totaled $6.96 billion, 10.5% above the FY2000 enacted funding level. On June 26 the House passed H.R. The Senate received H.R. 4690 on June 27, 2000. TheSenate Appropriations Committee reported its version of the bill July 18, 2000, recommending $6.1billion for the Department of State and $441.6 million for international broadcasting. On October27, 2000 Congress passed the CJS conference report ( H.R. 4942 , H.Rept. 106-1005 ). After numerous continuing resolutions, the President signed into law ( P.L. 4942 as contained in H.R. 5548 . Theenacted FY2001 appropriation provides $6.6 billion for the Department of State and $451.5 millionfor international broadcasting for a total of $7.1 billion--nearly $100 million more than the ClintonAdministration had requested. The final amount passed by Congress is $3.168 billion with$410 million for worldwide security upgrades. The Capital Investment Fund (CIF) -- CIF was established by the ForeignRelations Authorization Act of FY1994/95 ( P.L. International Organizations and Conferences

Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) -- CIO provides funds forU.S. The remainder is being withheld until U.N. reforms arecompleted. The House Appropriations Committee recommended a continuation of theFY2000 funding level for FY2001. Congress compromised with an enacted level of $56.2 million. The House Appropriations Committee recommended continuing The AsiaFoundation at its FY2000 level and the House agreed. P.L. Therefore, Congress agreednot to merge broadcasting functions into the State Department, but to maintain the BroadcastingBoard of Governors (BBG) as an independent agency as of October 1, 1999. TheFY2001 budget request for international broadcasting was $448.4 million, a 6.3% increase. The Senate Committee reported in its version of H.R.
On February 7, 2000, the President submitted his FY2001 budget request which includednearly $7 billion for the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Thisrepresented an increase of $661.5 million (or 10.5%) from the FY2000 enacted level which Congresshad passed in an omnibus bill on November 19, 1999; the President had signed it into law ( P.L.106-113 ) on November 29, 1999.
Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1999 ( P.L. 105-277 , section1001) had required the foreign policy agencies to be reorganized before FY2000. Subsequently, theArms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) merged its functions into the Department of State,and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reorganized and came directly underthe authority of the Secretary of State as of April 1, 1999. The U.S. Information Agency (USIA)consolidated its information and exchange functions into the Department of State, while as ofOctober 1, 1999 the broadcasting functions became an independent agency referred to as theBroadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).
The Administration's FY2001 request would have: 1) provided more than $1 billion forworldwide security upgrades at U.S. facilities, 2) continued increasing the capital investment fund,and 3) increased U.S. Contributions to the U.N.'s International Organizations (CIO) and its U.N.Contributions to International Peacekeeping (CIPA) funds. In addition, the internationalbroadcasting budget request of $6.96 billion represented a 6.3% increase over the FY2000 level.
The House Commerce, Justice, State (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee reported out itsversion of the CJS FY2001funding legislation on June 6, 2000. The full House AppropriationsCommittee reported out its version on June 15th. The bill ( H.R. 4690 ) was formallyintroduced on June 19, 2000. House floor action occurred on June 22nd and 23rd; the House passedthe bill (214-195-1) on June 26, 2000 after agreeing to transfer $10 million out of State and into theLegal Services Corp. The House funding level for the State Department and internationalbroadcasting totaled $6.55 billion.
The Senate Appropriations Committee reported their version of H.R. 4690 onJuly 18, 2000. The Senate Committee recommended no significant increase in worldwide securityupgrade funding, but a 30% increase in the Capital Investment Fund and 10% increase in exchangeprograms. The Senate Committee recommended a total FY2001 funding level of $6.56 billion forState and international broadcasting.
On October 27, 2000, Congress approved the CJS conference report ( H.R. 4942 ; H.Rept. 106-1005 ). The President signed the measure into law on December 21, 2000( H.R. 5548 as contained in the conference report on H.R. 4942 ; P.L.106-553 ).
This is the final update of this report.