Washington, DC – Foreign Policy for America applauds President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. The request includes encouraging top-line increases to the international affairs budget, ensuring key departments and programs are equipped to advance U.S. national security through principled diplomacy and development. At the same time, President Biden’s budget request makes historic investments in the American middle class and our economy. It’s a list of priorities that, if implemented, will create a strong foundation for the U.S. to innovate, compete, and lead the world in addressing our shared challenges.
At $70.5 billion—an 11 percent increase from FY23 levels—President Biden’s international affairs budget makes important investments toward strengthening American diplomacy and development tools. This includes a commendable $8.2 billion to recruit and develop a diverse national security workforce capable of meeting emerging challenges. A modest funding increase toward global health, infrastructure development, and democracy and human rights abroad reflects a renewed commitment to strengthening ties between the U.S. and our partners from Africa and Latin America to the Middle and Indo-Pacific. Foreign Policy for America is encouraged to see this budget request emphasize investments across multiple funding priorities to address the climate crisis, and we hope to see strong international climate commitments cemented in a final budget.
We note also the proposed $26 billion increase in defense discretionary spending from FY23 enacted levels, building upon one of the largest increases in defense spending history. It is a request that unfortunately reflects the acute threat of Russia and the pacing challenge of China, and their combined efforts to undermine the international system and the values that undergird it. However we remain concerned about the extraordinary imbalance between investments in America’s military and non-military toolkit for engaging the world. Amid this new era of strategic competition, we urge the Administration and Congress to prioritize revitalizing American diplomacy and development efforts and reinforcing the domestic foundations of our international leadership in a final budget.
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