U.S. FY 2010 Budget

What exactly is "hot" about the US FY2010 budget half way through 2009?  ONE members will recall the president released his budget outline back in February and Congress adopted its budget resolution in April.  The process is humming along, right?  Well, this is a transition year, so things are a bit non-conformist, but that's just fine. 

ONE members have recently been focused on appropriations, advocating and campaigning for an increase in the State, Foreign Operations account to provide the room to fund important, life-saving development programs.  Now we have program by program funding recommendations from the president to fill in the details. 

The president just transmitted his full account-level budget to Congress which includes $51.7 billion for the State, Foreign Operations appropriations bill.  This amount is $4.1 billion above last year's level, and of the proposed increase, 73 percent or $2.9 billion is for poverty-focused development assistance which will help the neediest on the planet and bolster our national security. 

The budget also reiterated the president's pledge to double foreign assistance and meet many other campaign pledges important to ONE members including a commitment to expand global education, improve food security through enhanced agricultural investments, and follow through on commitments to improving global health.  The budget however does fall short in support for the Global Fund and PEPFAR, and we still do not know how much of these increases will be directed to Africa and the world's poorest people. 

In the coming weeks the House and Senate Appropriations Committees take the next important step in the process by deciding the spending authority for the State, Foreign Operations subcommittee in what is called a 302(b) allocation.  This is the amount of real dollars the Appropriations Committees will be allowed to spend on foreign assistance, including assistance focused on fighting global disease and poverty. 

ONE members are advocating and campaigning to Representatives and Senators for a 302(b) allocation for State, Foreign Operations that meets the president's request of $51.7 billion, and then ready go to work on ensuring poverty-focused development programs receive the right amount of funding through the appropriations process.  In the coming weeks and months, there will be legislation on these programs in subcommittee, full committee, and full chamber.  Many changes and amendments are sure to occur before the funding bills are complete and signed by the president.  ONE's goal in this process is to ensure that helping the world's most vulnerable people remains a priority for both the president and Congress.  It will not be easy, especially in this economic climate, but thanks to ONE members and other champions, we have strong achievements on which to build.