Advocacy Email - March 10, 2004

Subject:  International Affairs Budget (3/10/2004)

To: International Education Advocates

UPDATE:

U.S. Global Leadership Campaign E-Update
March 4, 2004 
http://www.usgloballeadership.org/index.cfm

Legislative Update: President & Congress Begin Work on Budget
 President Bush calls for strong International Affairs Budget
-  Congress may target account in budget negotiations

In early February, President Bush submitted his 2005 budget to Congress. Within his budget, the President requested an additional 7% from last year's levels to be spent on the International Affairs programs. Even with the increase, the International Affairs Budget remains at only 1.6% of the entire U.S. budget and is still less than 50% of what we were spending in 1985, as a percentage of GDP.

The U.S. Global Leadership Campaign praised the President for requesting $31.5 billion for the International Affairs Budget that includes such important programs as humanitarian support, HIV/AIDS funding, education exchanges, embassy security, and economic export promotion programs. The majority of the increase was directed to funding two new Presidential initiatives: the Millennium Challenge Account and money to combat Global HIV/AIDS. With a few exceptions, all other programs in this account remained unchanged from 2004. The U.S. Global Leadership Campaign is concerned that these new initiatives are not funded at the expense of existing programs.

See a complete list of programs funded by the International Affairs Budget.

The action now turns to Congress. The House and Senate began their deliberations of the President's budget last week. Already, the Senate Budget Chair has called for a $1.1 billion cut to the President's request for International Affairs spending. In an election year with growing deficits, there is enormous pressure for potential cuts to all the discretionary accounts, especially the international programs.

Both the Senate and the House are trying to complete the work on their budgets before the Easter Congressional break. This is the first step in a long process of securing adequate funding for critical programs that not only help those throughout the world create better, more stable lives, but are also critical to our national security, economic interests, and humanitarian and democratic values.
 

ACTION:
Requested by March 31, 2004

Members of Congress need to hear from you immediately. We already know that the Senate has proposed a cut to the International Affairs Budget and we are anticipating the House to do the same. Given the size of this account, any cut will have a minimal impact on our overall federal budget spending, but as you know any cut to the International Affairs Budget will have a significant impact on these important programs.

Please take a moment and send a message to your Senators and Representative and urge them to oppose any cuts to the International Affairs Budget. Every voice will make a difference.

 

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Washington State Coalition for International Education
http://internationaledwa.org
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