FY25 International Affairs Budget

August 6, 2024

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Senate Appropriators Approve 5.6% Boost for FY25 State-Foreign Operations Bill

Ahead of Congress’s August recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee spent the month of July considering its FY25 spending bills – including the State-Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill that funds the vast majority of the International Affairs Budget.

Notably, Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) agreed to add nearly $35 billion in FY25 emergency funding – including $13.5 billion for non-defense programs – above and beyond the FY25 funding levels provided in last year’s bipartisan debt limit and spending deal. As a result, the Senate’s FY25 appropriations bills generally provide more substantial funding increases compared to their House counterparts.

On a strong bipartisan vote of 24-5, Senate Appropriators approved a 5.6% increase to overall State-Foreign Operations funding for FY25. This stands in stark contrast to the House-passed version, which cuts the SFOPS topline by 11%. Importantly, the Senate funding level would reverse the cut to U.S. development and diplomacy resources included in last year’s final spending deal.

Specifically, the Senate Appropriations Committee provided $61.6 billion for its FY25 SFOPS bill, including:

• $55.7 billion in regular, non-emergency funding; and
• $5.9 billion in emergency funding intended to cover base budget activities and referred to in this analysis as “base emergency funding.”

USGLC released a statement applauding Senate Appropriators’ bipartisan action as “good news when it comes to a path to ensuring America has the tools to tackle the escalating global threats.”

STATE-FOREIGN OPERATIONS BUDGET SNAPSHOT

*Excludes $26.8 billion in emergency funding primarily for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and global humanitarian assistance.
**Reflects CBO’s re-estimate of the Administration’s request.

Eight amendments were offered during the markup – four were withdrawn and four were adopted. Adopted amendments include:

• A managers’ package offered by SFOPS Chair Chris Coons (D-DE) consisting of 17 non-controversial amendments on a variety of topics. Adopted by voice vote.
• An amendment offered by Appropriations Vice Chair Collins and SFOPS Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to extend the current prohibition on U.S. funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – which currently extends to March 2025 – through the end of the fiscal year. Adopted by a recorded vote of 17 to 12.
• An amendment offered by SFOPS Chair Coons that maintains the current prohibition on U.S. funding to UNRWA but allows for funding to be restored “to help build the capacity of other implementers of US humanitarian assistance in Gaza” in March 2025 if a number of factors are met – including an independent review of UNRWA, enhanced vetting, and demonstrated steps toward reform. Adopted by a recorded vote of 15 to 14.
• An amendment offered by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to increase international family planning assistance. Adopted by a recorded vote of 16-13. 

Select Highlights

In the coming weeks, USGLC will release a comprehensive analysis comparing the FY25 House and Senate proposals alongside the Administration’s FY25 request. In the interim, below are select additional details on programmatic funding levels in the Senate SFOPS bill and report. Unless otherwise noted, comparisons are to the FY24 enacted level.

• International Security Assistance: The Senate bill increases funding for international security assistance programs by $49 million (+1%) compared to the FY24 enacted level. Of this total, $2.2 billion is provided through base emergency funding. The Senate level represents a $125 million ( -1%) cut compared to the Administration’s FY25 request and a $879 million (-9%) reduction compared to the House-approved level.
• Peacekeeping: Consistent with the Administration’s FY25 request, the Senate bill reduces funding for UN peacekeeping by $133 million (-10%), maintains the 25% legislative cap on peacekeeping contributions, and holds funding for non-UN peacekeeping programs essentially flat. By comparison, the House bill slashes funding for UN peacekeeping by $299 million (-22%), while providing a $10 million (+2%) increase for non-UN peacekeeping programs.
• Countering the PRC: The Senate bill includes $420 million for the Countering PRC Influence Fund – $20 million (+5%) above the FY24 enacted level as well as the Administration’s FY25 request and the House-approved level.
• Development Finance and Export Agencies: The Senate bill provides a $26 million (+3%) increase in overall funding for the Development Finance Corporation (DFC). This is a $15 million (+1%) increase compared to the Administration’s FY25 request and $254 million (+33%) more than the House-approved level. In line with the Administration’s request, the Senate bill increases funding for the Export-Import Bank and the Trade and Development Agency by $6 million (+4%) and $13 million (+15%), respectively.
• Humanitarian Assistance: The Senate bill provides $8.9 billion for humanitarian assistance, a $151 million (+2%) increase compared to the FY24 enacted level. Of this total, $2.5 billion is provided through base emergency funding. This represents a $387 million (5%) increase compared to the Administration’s FY25 request and is nearly $3 billion (50%) above the House-approved level.
• Development and Economic Assistance: The Senate bill increases funding for nearly all development and economic assistance accounts. This includes a $222 million (+6%) increase for Development Assistance, a $193 million (+5%) increase for the Economic Support Fund, and a $132 million (+ 17%) boost for Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia (AEECA). Of note, the totals for ESF and AEECA include $815 million and $400 million, respectively, in base emergency funding. The Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Peace Corps also receive increases of $7 million (+1%) and $49 million (+11%), respectively, while the Democracy Fund is maintained at the FY24 enacted level.
• Global Health: The Senate bill cuts overall funding for Global Health Programs by $356 million (-4%). This is $153 million (-2%) less than the Administration’s FY25 request, but $406 million (+4%) above the House-approved level. It provides $1.2 billion for the Global Fund, $8 million (+1%) more than the Administration’s request, but below both the FY24 enacted and House-approved levels. Notably, the Senate bill also includes a two-year reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
• Multilateral Assistance: The Senate bill includes a $133 million (+9%) increase for U.S. assessed contributions to the UN and other international organizations to allow the U.S. to fully fund its membership commitments, as well as a $38 million (+9%) boost for the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, which covers voluntary contributions to a range of international organizations. Taken together, this represents a slight increase compared to the Administration’s FY25 request and is $1.9 billion (+698%) above the House-approved level. Additionally, the bill increases funding for U.S. contributions to the World Bank and other international financial institutions (IFIs) by $367 million (+15%) – $121 million (-4%) lower than the Administration’s FY25 request, but $951 million (+55%) above the House-approved level.
• Civilian Capacity and Operations: The Senate bill boosts funding for the State Department and USAID accounts that fund personnel and other operating costs by $319 million (+3%) and $52 million (3%), respectively. It also provides a $26 million (+0.5%) increase for embassy security. 

Senate Boosts Funding for International Food Assistance in FY25 Agriculture Appropriations Bill

In addition to approving its FY25 State-Foreign Operations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved its FY25 Agriculture Appropriations bill with funding increases for two critical international food assistance programs. Specifically:

• $1.7 billion for Food for Peace – 6% ($102 million) above the FY24 enacted level.
• $250 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program – 4% ($10 million) above the FY24 enacted level.

AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS