President Obama released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2012 yesterday, launching the annual budgetary process in which the White House and Congress struggle to come to terms on spending legislation acceptable to both branches of government.  The outlook for international affairs funding in the President's budget is not overly encouraging, particularly regarding funding for the United Nations and peacekeeping missions--but all things considered, it could be worse.

The President's budget proposal provides $47 billion in discretionary spending for the Departments of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  This represents a 1 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2010 (the last time the government successfully enacted a budget, as the FY 2011 budget has not yet been completed).  Unfortunately, funding for international organizations and peacekeeping would be reduced under the President's budget proposal, to $3.539 billion from the $3.8 billion total allocated in FY 2010.  $75 million is proposed for the Complex Crises Fund (CCF).  The President's budget also recommends creating a new Global Security Contingency Fund, a "funding mechanism to facilitate greater joint Department of Defense-State planning, funding, and execution of security sector and stabilization assistance programs worldwide."