Coalition applauds House and Senate champions for restoring America’s International Affairs Budget

WASHINGTON – The USGLC President and CEO Liz Schrayer issued the following statement on the release of the FY18 Omnibus:

Last night’s spending bill puts Congress on the record once again with an impressive bipartisan voice: America cannot afford to withdraw from the world. It is an outright rejection of the Administration’s proposal that would have dangerously slashed our diplomacy and development tools by a third and undermined America’s security and economic interests.

The increase of close to 4% compared to last year’s levels – when excluding the emergency supplementals – is welcome news and we commend the many champions on both sides of the aisle for their steadfast leadership. Over this past year, nearly half of all Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been outspoken supporters of the State Department, USAID, and other agencies – a bright spot at a moment when we need more bipartisanship in Washington.

At the same time, it’s clear that America is not keeping pace with the growing global threats we face. Whether it’s fighting the next Ebola, tackling the nexus of terrorism and famines, or competing in the world’s fastest growing markets, America can’t get left behind.