On July 25, 2013, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations held a full committee markup of the fiscal year 2014 bill for State and Foreign Operations. Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) presided.
For full event notes, continue reading or click here for the PDF.
Chairwoman Mikulski began her opening remarks stating that “the State and Foreign Operations bill supports America’s leadership around the globe, and advances our interests abroad; security, humanitarian, and economic.” She added that she is proud of the State and Foreign Operations bill, which funds America’s public diplomacy and protects American interests around the globe. The bill, she argued, does important work: “it gives assistance to our allies; keeps our embassies safe; provides lifesaving vaccines and nutrition assistance; fights despicable human trafficking; and, it protects religious freedoms around the world.” Mikulski concluded by saying that the bill provides not only critical funding for embassy security but also provides robust support for global health and humanitarian efforts.
Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) gave his opening remarks about the State and Foreign Operations bill claiming it has “problematic top-line spending implications,” arguing that it is over 29% higher than its companion bill in the house. He concluded his comments on the State and Foreign Operations bill by stating that time is running out to pass an appropriations bill that conforms to the parameters laid out by the Budget Control Act.
A roll-call vote was called on the State and Foreign Operations bill, in which it was approved 23 to 7 by proxy, subject to amendment.
Senator Leahy continued his remarks by calling the bill a product of bipartisanship, and noted that the bill allotted $25 million in funding for NATO, the UN, and other key allies and international organizations. He added that the bill funds providing aid for major humanitarian crises, pointing to the thousands of refugees in Syria that have fled to Jordan. In addition, he remarked at the ridiculousness of how the government of Afghanistan intended to charge the United States $1,000 for every cargo container shipped out of Afghanistan carrying U.S. equipment, in response to which he and Senator Graham worked to include a provision in the bill stating that for every dollar the Karzai government taxed on the U.S. removing its own equipment from Afghanistan, the United States would withhold $5 of aid. He closed by arguing that the United States cannot afford to disengage from the world, especially as the U.S. has taken a position as a world power and has an obligation to fulfill its global promise.
Ranking Member of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) added in his remarks that the FY2014 bill currently on the floor carries a 2.7% budget decrease from its FY2013 counterpart. In addition, while the bill stipulates that U.S. military aid will continue to go to Egypt, it will divide next year’s aid into four tranches of aid, with the latter three carrying conditions based on democracy development. More specifically, the second delivery will require the military to promote an “inclusive political process and release political prisoners, the next two deliveries will require the interim government to hold democratic elections and the government that comes to power taking steps to promote the rights and status of women and minorities.
Chairwoman Mikulski then offered the opportunity for Senators to present amendments, during which Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LO) first praised the $200 million allocated towards Jordanian refugees and the $3.1 billion allotted for Israel, before she presented her amendment to allow the United States to bypass its restrictions on funding UNESCO for its admitting of the Palestinian Authority by granting it $700,000 out of the $80 million that would be allotted to UNESCO without the block to go towards the preservation of Poverty Point in Louisiana, a site of great archaeological importance with respect to the Native Americans that lived there thousands of years ago, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) expressed his disapproval with the amendment, saying that it goes against U.S. law, as mentioned above. As he supported the preservation efforts at Poverty Point, he insisted that the U.S. change the law altogether rather than pass an amendment. Senator Leahy added to the discussion by mentioning that UNESCO admitting the Palestinian Authority has hindered Israel but nonetheless supports Senator Landrieu’s amendment.
A roll call vote was called, in which Senator Landrieu’s amendment passed 19-11.
After that, Senator Jean Shaheen (D-NH) presented her amendment that would permanently repeal the global “gag rule” on restricting funding overseas for family planning and abortions. Senator Lindsey Graham expressed his strong disagreement with the amendment, mentioning that it is illegal for the U.S. government to fund abortions in general. Senator Shaheen rebutted by arguing that the law was established under the Reagan administration and consecutively repealed and re-established by the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations.
A roll call vote was called, in which Senator Shaheen’s amendment passed 19-11.
Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) then took time to bring up the case of Iranian human rights lawyer Nasreen Satoudeh, discussing her plight and that of the Iranian people in general and how they are denied democracy even when they go to the polls.
After, Senator Leahy brought forth an amendment to provide additional funding and technical assistance to those involved in the pursuit and eventual prosecution of Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony in Uganda. After some debate over continued support of the ICC, which has charged Kony of war crimes and was criticized by many Senators as a “political organization” in addition to a judicial one that unfairly condemns Israel, a vote on the amendment was called, in which Senator Leahy’s amendment passed 17-12.
Seeing as there were no additional amendments, Senator Mikulski moved to begin addressing the Financial Services Appropriations bill.