Obama's FY11 Budget Request

On February 1, President Obama released his request for the FY2011 U.S. budget. The Administration requested $58.5 billion for the international affairs budget (the 150 account) — an increase of $6.1 billion over FY2010 levels – including key investments in global agriculture and a more comprehensive approach to improving global health, including efforts to fight neglected tropical diseases and improvements to maternal and child health.   

A bipartisan group of senators are currently circulating a letter asking the Senate Budget Committee to uphold the administration's FY11 request of $58.5 billion for International Affairs.  You can read the letter here, and background from our legislative team here.

Despite the proposed increase, the President’s requests for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and for PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) are disappointing. The Administration also missed an opportunity to make greater strides against childhood mortality with only a modest increase in spending for immunizations, at a moment when new vaccines are ready to save lives through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI).

Some highlights of this year’s budget request include:

• The FY11 request more than doubles funding for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), demonstrating the Administration’s commitment to a rapid scale up for these historically underfunded diseases.
• Agriculture receives a strong increase of $750 million, representing a big step in the fight against poverty and fulfilling the U.S. commitment made at the G8 summit in Italy last year.
• Greater details were released about the Administration’s Global Health Initiative and its core principles and objectives. While the comprehensive vision for global health detailed is a great step forward, the weak budget requests in some areas of global health are unlikely to meet the stated ambitions of the GHI.
• Maternal and child health receives a substantial increase of $351 million, the largest global health growth area this year. This included a welcomed increase in funding for nutrition programs, though the Administration also missed an opportunity to make greater strides against childhood mortality with only a modest increase in spending for immunizations through GAVI.

ONE has prepared a report card (below) on how the budget request performs in key poverty fighting accounts. ONE has also prepared a full analysis of the budget request.

(click the report card image below to enlarge)