Foreign Ops: Go with the Senate Numbers

This week the Senate is taking up the State Department and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. In two key areas, contributions to international organizations (CIO) and peacekeeping, (CIPA) senators have an easy job - don't cut the numbers requested by Senator Leahy's Foreign Operations sub-committee. Both the House bill and the Senate committee report exceeded the administration's request, but the Senate goes further than the House. Here are the numbers:

The Senate commiitee report contained some excellent language to justifies these numbers. Regarding international organizations it recommends that the U.S. meet its treaty obligations and goes on to say that in the future, "The Committee directs the Secretary of State to request sufficient funds to pay annual U.S. assessed dues and any accumulated arrears to international organizations and encourages the Department of State to evaluate the benefit of U.S. membership on an annual basis."

As for peacekeeping the report notes that "the budget request for U.S. assessed contributions to international peacekeeping missions assumed a reduction in the cost of every mission except UNMIS below the fiscal year 2007 operating level, yet the United States voted in the U.N. Security Council to expand the mandate of peacekeeping missions. The request was unrealistic considering the significant contribution to peace and stability provided by U.N. peacekeeping activities, without the participation of U.S. troops. In addition, new peacekeeping missions are anticipated in fiscal year 2008 in Chad, the Central African Republic, Somalia and possibly Darfur. The Committee does not support the administration's practice of under-funding peacekeeping activities and relying on limited supplemental funds."

The bottom line is that in order to repair our national image, enhance our diplomatic strength, invest in international development, and advance our economic, political, and national security interests, the Senate must pass a robust foreign operations bill.