While there are many provisions in this bill that I support, a number of specific cuts are deeply troubling. This bill would require a drastic retreat from our engagement in multilateral organizations, and State and USAID personnel.
Thank you, Chairwoman Granger and Chairman Rogers. I appreciate our cooperative relationship.
The agencies and programs funded by this bill are a vital part of our national security strategy. Yet, our ability to protect our national interests and further our diplomatic and development goals would be limited if this bill were to become law. The allocation represents a greater than 20% reduction from the fiscal year 2013 pre-sequestration levels. The Majority's refusal to go to conference and develop a bipartisan agreement on the budget continues to place this Committee in the position of underfunding essential programs.
However, funding for several important initiatives is included in this bill. In the midst of great turmoil in the Middle East, our strategic alliance with Israel is essential. The funding we provide under our Memorandum of Understanding with Israel helps protect our own interests and the security of the only bulwark of democracy in the region. In addition, funding for the Palestinian Authority helps build sound institutions so that the government can earn the trust of its people, and the bill includes long-standing safeguards to ensure these funds are spent properly. Just days ago, Secretary Kerry announced the resumption of peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and this funding plays a vital role in building a foundation from which negotiations toward a lasting peace can begin.
Funding for Jordan, a key partner in the region, also advances critical national interests. Jordan's alliance with the United States is essential as events continue to change by the hour in the Middle East. Jordan is responding to a massive refugee crisis due to the ongoing war in Syria, and our support strengthens Jordan in the face of tremendous challenges.
Basic education provides the building blocks for all other development efforts. No country has reached sustained economic growth without achieving near universal primary education, and the 9/11 Commission concluded that ensuring educational opportunity is essential to defeating global terrorism. Giving children the tools they need to contribute to their families and communities will help build more stability around the world.
The bill also provides funding above the request for our water and sanitation programs. According to the United Nations, each day approximately 5,000 children die from preventable water and sanitation-related illnesses. Our efforts to help populations throughout the globe access clean water not only save lives but also improve health outcomes, increase economic productivity, and reduce violence.
Additionally, the robust funding for global health assistance is a critical part of the global battle against disease. In particular, I appreciate the Chair's focus on nutrition and the global frontline health workforce. Our global health efforts are unsustainable if we do not ensure that children receive adequate nutrition to develop strong immune systems and that there are trained individuals in every community who can treat the diseases that plague so much of the developing world.
Few programs are more emblematic of our global leadership than the Peace Corps. This bill will help Peace Corps volunteers continue to impact countless lives in the developing world each year while furthering U.S. public diplomacy efforts.
While there are many provisions in this bill that I support, a number of specific cuts are deeply troubling. This bill would require a drastic retreat from our engagement with multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and many others. Should we pull back in the manner envisioned in this draft, that void would surely be filled by other countries whose objectives may not align with our interests. Our work with these organizations is essential to maintaining our global leadership and achieving our goals on the international stage. Just last week the United Nations made an appeal for $13 billion in humanitarian aid assistance due to increased relief demands from Syria and its neighbors. While this bill cobbles together the President's request for basic humanitarian efforts, the unrealistic discretionary spending levels from the Ryan Budget make it impossible for the President to respond to this or other emerging crises adequately.
This bill also includes substantial cuts to our personnel and programs at the State Department and USAID. While I support the funding for embassy security and personnel protection, one has to ask whether there will be anything left to protect. Our diplomats and development professionals are a key facet of our national security strategy, and the programs they implement protect our interests by making the world safer and more secure. These relatively small investments, which are neglected, yield outsized dividends for our nation.
While I have tried to give a balanced description of the bill before us today, its proposed reinstatement of the global gag rule, funding ban on the UNFPA, and reduction in support for bilateral family planning efforts are simply unacceptable. These policies are proven to do the exact opposite of what we all hope to achieve: fewer unwanted pregnancies and fewer abortions. The majority's insistence on policies and funding levels that are diametrically opposed to our shared goals is inexplicable. It is unconscionable that anyone would insist on these cuts and policies riders knowing they will lead to 8,000 more maternal deaths, 40,000 additional orphans, and 1.4 million more abortions, compared to FY12 levels.
It is my sincere hope that, working with the Senate, we will agree to a higher allocation for this bill that will allow us to fix many of the problems in this draft. I will continue to work with Chairman Rogers and Chairwoman Granger toward that goal. I want to express my appreciation to Chairwoman Granger for her hard work, and I also again want to express my thanks to our staffs for their efforts on this bill: Anne Marie Chotvacs, Craig Higgins, Alice Hogans, Susan Adams, Clelia Alvarado, Jamie Guinn, Johnnie Kaberle, Joe Wang; and my staff, Steve Marchese, Erin Kolodjeski, Talia Dubovi, and Ralph Falzone.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
