Facts & Figures

• Senator Kerry’s Fact Sheet on House Cuts to Foreign Assistance
• H.R. 1: Disproportionate Cuts to International Affairs Budget
• How the International Affairs Budget promotes national security
• How the International Affairs Budget promotes America’s economy
• Myths and Facts About the International Affairs Budget
• Fact Sheet on the FY11 International Affairs Budget Request
• USGLC Analysis on the FY11 International Affairs Budget Request
• FY11 International Affairs Budget Request – Account by Account Summary

Congressional Letters

• General Petraeus’s Letter to Senator Graham Supporting International Affairs Funding (March 21, 2011)
• U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney’s Dear Colleague Letter to Congress (March 17, 2011)
• Foreign Policy Organizations’ Letter to House Appropriations Chairman Rogers (February 16, 2011)
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services Letter House Members (February 14, 2011)
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Letter to House on a Full Year CR (Feb, 2011)
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Letter to Appropriations Committee Chairman Rogers (February 14, 2011)
• USGLC’s Business Letter to Congress (June 2010)
• House Foreign Affairs Committee leaders letter to Appropriations Committee Chairman Obey (May 21, 2010)
• Senate Letter to Appropriators (May 14, 2010)
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Letter to the Senate (May 2010)
• All former Secretaries of State’s letter to Congress (April 27, 2010)
• Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’ letter to Budget Committee Chairman Conrad (April 21, 2010)
• New Democrats Coalition Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt (April 20, 2010)
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s letter to Budget Committee Chairman Conrad (April 20, 2010)
• Senate Letter to the Budget Committee Chairman Conrad and Ranking Member Gregg (April 16, 2010)
• Blue Dog Coalition Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt and Speaker Pelosi (April 15, 2010)
• Congressional Progressive Caucus Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt (April 6, 2010)
• House Democratic Freshmen Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt (March 29, 2010)
• House Foreign Relations Committee Letter to Speaker Pelosi (March 12, 2010)
• House Budget Committee Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt (March 11, 2010)
• USGLC Military Leaders Letter to Congress (March 10, 2010)
• Congressional Black Caucus Letter to Budget Committee Chairman Spratt (March 8, 2010)
• Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen’s letters to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid (May 21, 2010)
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Letter in support of the International Affairs Budget (November 10, 2009)
• Bi-partisan Letter to President Obama – signed by 247 Members of Congress (December 7, 2009)

USGLC Statements

• USGLC Press Release on FY11 Spending Agreement (April 2011)
• House FY11 Allocation: Disproportionate Cut to International Affairs Budget (March 2011)
• USGLC Press Release on House Appropriations FY11 Mark (February 2011)
• USGLC Press Release on Senate Budget Committee Mark (April 2010)
• USGLC Press Release on President Obama’s FY11 Request (February 2010)

FY 2011 Timeline

• February 1, 2010 — President Obama submits his FY11 budget request, including $58.8 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
• April 21, 2010 — Senate Budget Committee passes its 2011 budget resolution, which cuts the International Affairs Budget by $4 billion from the request level.
• June 30, 2010 — the House Appropriations State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee marks up its FY 2011 spending bill, providing $54.9 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
• July 15, 2010 — the Senate Appropriations Committee adopts its 302(b) appropriations allocations, allocating $56.2 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
• July 20, 2010 — the House Appropriations Committee adopts its 302(b) appropriations allocations, including $56.1 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
• July 29, 2010 — Senate Appropriations Committee approves its State-Foreign Operations bill, which provides a total of $56.2 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
• September 29, 2010 — the House passes a Continuing Resolution funding the federal government at FY10 base levels, including the International Affairs Budget at $51.1 billion. The CR extends to December 3.
• September 30, 2010 — the House passes a matching Continuing Resolution.
• December 1, 2010 — the House passes legislation extending the Continuing Resolution until December 18.
• December 2, 2010 — the Senate passes legislation extending the Continuing Resolution until December 18.
• December 18, 2010 — the House and Senate pass legislation extending the Continuing Resolution until December 21.
• December 21, 2010 — the House and Senate pass a Continuing Resolution, which funds the International Affairs Budget at $52.9 billion, until March 4.
• February 19, 2011 – the House passes HR 1, a full-year Continuing Resolution, which funds the International Affairs Budget at $45.9 billion and cut $102 billion from the President’s request.
• March 2, 2011 – President Obama signs a two-week Continuing Resolution, containing $4 billion in cuts, extending funding for the federal government until March 18.
• March 9, 2011 – HR 1 and Senate Democrats’ full-year spending package, which funded the International Affairs Budget at $52.3 billion and cut $29 billion from the President’s request, both fail in the Senate.
• March 18, 2011 – President Obama signs a three-week Continuing Resolution, containing $6 billion in cuts extending funding for the federal government until April 8. The International Affairs Budget is reduced by $17 million when funding for the International Fund for Ireland is eliminated.
• April 8, 2011 – The White House and Congressional negotiators reach agreement on a spending level for the rest of FY11, reducing spending by $38.5 billion, and a one-week Continuing Resolution, containing $6 billion in cuts, is passed by the House and Senate to give appropriators time to finalize the spending agreement. The International Affairs Budget is reduced to $50.1 billion.
• April 14, 2011 – HR 1473, the full-year spending agreement, is passed by both the House (260-167) and Senate (81-19).

Votes, Amendments & Legislation

• H.R. 1473 – The final FY11 spending agreement (H.R. 1473) cut $38.5 billion from FY10 spending levels, including $6.5 billion from the International Affairs Budget. The funding level for the International Affairs Budget, $50.1 billion, is an 11.4% cut from FY10 enacted levels and 14.7% from the President’s FY11 request. The Senate and the House both passed H.R. 1473 on April 14.
• H.R. 1 – The House passed on February 19 an FY11 Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) that funds the International Affairs Budget at $45.9 billion, 19% below FY10 enacted levels and 22% below the President’s FY11 request. On March 9, the Senate rejected H.R. 1 by a vote of 44-56.
• S. Amdt. To H.R. 1 – Senate Democrats proposed an alternative budget to the House-passed H.R. 1, which funded the International Affairs Budget at a level of $52.3 billion, 7% below FY10 enacted levels. On March 9, the Senate rejected the alternative budget by a vote of 42-58.

Hearings & Statements

• U.S. Senator John Kerry’s Statement for the Record on Cuts to the International Affairs Budget in the FY11 Continuing Resolution (March 11, 2001)
• Excerpts from Senate & House Committee Hearings on the FY11 International Affairs Budget
• Statements by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the International Affairs Budget
• Statement on markup of House FY11 State-Foreign Operations bill by Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey
• Statement on markup of House FY11 State-Foreign Operations bill by Subcommittee Ranking Member Kay Granger
• Visit the “On the Record” section of USGLC’s Budget Center for more quotes and documents from members of Congress.