Washington, DC – Foreign Policy for America applauds the passage of the 2022 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Funding bill, which will provide $62.24 billion in funds – an increase of 12.1 percent from 2021 – for U.S. diplomatic, development, and foreign policy agencies and programs, including the Department of State, the USAID, and the U.S. Mission to the UN.
We are pleased to see the funding bill tackle a wide array of pressing issues, including the climate crisis, global health, diversity and inclusion initiatives within the Department of State and USAID, and the special immigrant visas for Afghans.
In particular, we note with approval the bill’s commitment to provide $3 billion to address the ongoing climate crisis, and most notably the first direct appropriation for the Green Climate Fund with $1.6 billion. With the current heat wave engulfing the Pacific Northwest and clear urgency of greater climate action across the globe, we fully support funding these efforts.
We also commend the bill for increasing the direct U.S. contribution to UNFPA by $37.5million, for a total of $70 million, and the permanent repeal of the Global Gag Rule on non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. assistance. Prioritizing women’s health is a victory for global health and will help women around the world receive the comprehensive healthcare they need. Additionally, we support and applaud the bill’s inclusion of increased funding to equip and guide the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to broaden diversity and inclusion initiatives within the diplomatic service and the development workforce.
Building on our support for the Biden’s administration relocation plan for Afghan partners, we are also pleased to see the bill include funding for the Secretary of State to implement the Afghan Allies Protection Act and prioritize the processing of Afghan Special Immigrant visas (SIV) to ensure the safety and security of our Afghan allies.
“This legislation is an important next step in restoring principled U.S. leadership in the world” said Foreign Policy for America Executive Director for Andrew Albertson. “We face an unprecedented combination of global challenges today – challenges that can’t be solved by our military – from the COVID-19 pandemic, to the global recession that’s impacting our own recovery, to the climate crisis, and creeping authoritarianism. This appropriations bill is a good start toward addressing these challenges and revitalizing American diplomatic leadership.”
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