Where things stand with the FY11 Budget Process

May 6th, 2010 12:30 PM UTC
By Maryamu.Aminu

Last month, we asked ONE members to petition their Senators to sign a bi-partisan letter to Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Ranking-Member Judd Gregg (R-NH) of the Senate Budget Committee. This letter urged them to fully fund the administration’s request of $58.5 billion for international affairs (also known as the 150 account). Thanks to your hard work and energy, over 40,000 ONE members secured signatures from 31 Senators.

Then two weeks ago, under the leadership of Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), the Senate Budget Committee passed a Senate budget resolution which included a $4 billion cut to discretionary spending, the entire amount of which was taken from the President’s $58.5 billion request for international affairs (the 150 account). Of equal concern to us, last Friday, Congressional Quarterly reported that Congressman Spratt, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, said if given an opportunity to move a House budget, his committee will likely maintain this $4 billion cut to the 150 account.

ONE is strongly protesting this misguided cut. The 150 account funds all diplomatic and peacekeeping operations, and our priorities such as debt relief for countries like Haiti, life-saving treatments to assist impoverished people infected or affected by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; and other poverty-fighting programs that empower women; provide food aid and promote agricultural development and enroll millions of children in school. In short, the 150 account demonstrates America’s values of helping the least among us, and helps stabilize fragile regions to strengthen our national security.

But it’s not over. 31 Senators have already made our point, and now we must see this through. ONE members have some serious work to do in the next few weeks to restore the international affairs budget request to $58.5 billion. We’ve learned that if Senator Conrad’s budget proposal goes to the floor for a vote, it will happen with very short notice. The good news is that we have strong bi-partisan champions in the Senate who will likely sponsor an amendment to restore the $4 billion cut. If that happens, we need all ONE members to be ready to contact their Senators, at a moment’s notice, and help deliver the votes to restore the account to the administration’s request. We’ve done this before and have won every time. This time is just as important- so stand by for the alert!

TAGS: FY2011 US budget