State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2013 Budget and Appropriations
Abstract
International affairs expenditures typically amount to about 1.5 percent of the total federal budget. While some foreign policy and defense experts view that share as a small price to pay for a robust foreign affairs budget that they believe is essential to meeting national security and foreign policy objectives, others see international affairs spending, particularly foreign aid, as an attractive target for significant spending cuts in order to reduce deficit spending. On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget proposal. The FY2013 request totaled $54.87 billion for the State-Foreign Operations appropriations, including a core budget proposal of $46.63 billion plus $8.24 billion for extraordinary and temporary war related Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) in frontline states. The total request represented an increase of 2.6 percent over the estimated FY2012 funding level for the foreign affairs accounts, including $18.8 billion (a 4.5percent increase) for State Department and Related Agencies and $36.1 billion (a 0.1 percent increase) for Foreign Operations. Within the regular budget process, the Administration requested authority in addition to appropriations ($770 million) for a new account - the Middle East and North Africa Incentive Fund (MENA IF) - to provide flexible and transparent support for Arab Spring countries in transition toward democracy. The foreign affairs request included $8.2 billion for the frontline states of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. For other key accounts, the Administration sought $7.9 billion for the Global Health Programs (GHP) account, $770 million for global climate change activities, and $643 million for family planning and reproductive health activities, including $39 million for the controversial U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 02, 2013
- Accession Number
- AD1172235
Entities
People
- Alex Tiersky
- Marian L. Lawson
- Susan B. Epstein
Organizations
- Library of Congress