House debates foreign aid funding, makes cuts
The House is currently marking up the Foreign Relations Authorization act (H.R. 2583), which determines the budget for the State Department. The bill mark-up began Wednesday, went into the night, and is expected to continue through Thursday.
CQ Roll Call reported that the GOP-drafted measure aims to curtail President Obama’s foreign policy authority and would cut $6.4 billion from his fiscal 2012 request, according to the committee.
The first amendment considered and passed on Wednesday proposed fully de-funding American contributions to the Organization of American States, the organization that recently intervened in Haiti’s flawed presidential election. Other passed amendments include:
- prohibiting aid to Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador or Bolivia;
- a 25 percent reduction in non-peacekeeping related UN funding; and
- reinstating the Mexico City Policy which prohibits aid to organizations that promote or provide abortions.
In-depth reporting from CQ Roll Call (login required).
More about UN related funding cuts.
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