Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Priorities

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is a national, nonpartisan Quaker organization that advocates for peace, justice, and environmental stewardship. As Congress debates and finalize its FY27 appropriations package, we urge that it take initial steps to begin rebalancing federal spending from a skyrocketing military budget and violence-centered federal policing to civilian programs that help build peace, prosperity, and safety at home and abroad.

FCNL joined faith groups across the country in urging Congress to reject the proposed increase in military spending to $1.15 trillion, while urging it to increase dedicated funding for programs that help mitigate atrocities, promote peace, and address humanitarian needs. Congress should not prioritize continued funding for wars, whether funding to sustain the unauthorized war in Iran or funding to foreign militaries engaged in human rights abuses. Alternatively, Congress should invest in peace and conflict prevention as research shows that every dollar invested in preventing violent conflict saves $26-$103 over time in conflict response.  

At home, FCNL calls for increased funding for programs centered around domestic public safety, accountability, and fiscal prudence. Congress should secure U.S. vitality by advancing environmental stewardship and resilient ecosystems and neighborhoods. Likewise, from addressing the violence against Indigenous communities on sovereign tribal lands to promoting peace by preventing community-based violence, Congress could be acting to help let peace and accountability reign across the nation. Necessary accountability also includes guardrails against reckless and forceful practices by federal actors, including documented overreach by immigration authorities.  

Finally, Congress must reassert its constitutional powers and rein in executive overreach. We urge Congress to prevent the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from finalizing its proposed rule on federal grantmaking. The proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance would politicize how grant recipients are selected and when grants can be canceled. FCNL strongly encourages Congress to enact rigorous guardrails and ensure appropriated funds are spent efficiently and as intended by authorizing legislation. Continuous, rigorous congressional guardrails and oversight are essential to ensuring federal spending remains effective, accountable, and aligned with our shared values.  

Specifically, FCNL urges support for the following programs:

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

• Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVI), which funds vital programs, including violence interrupters, across the nation to prevent violence. Violence interrupters mitigate community violence before it occurs, reducing costly and dangerous police investigations and saving lives. We urge not less than $100 million for the CVI program.  

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2027

• Congress’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funding decisions must account for the astronomical funding passed in P.L. No. 119-21 and P.L. 119-98. 
• Sensitive Locations Report Language, building on prior appropriations report language, include the following report language: The Committee continues its directive for the Department of Homeland Security to continue monthly notifications to the Committee on immigration enforcement actions in or near sensitive locations and directing ICE to strengthen policy guidance and officer training for enforcement actions in or near sensitive locations to minimize interference with the exercise of religious and civil liberties.  
• The Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), whose independent reporting ensures the human rights of detained people. In 2023, the OIDO completed 22 inspections, 9 observations, and issued 11 inspection reports which included 36 recommendations of which 26 were eventually resolved, resulting in detention facility and process improvements. Issues ranged from religious liberty to child rights to addressing sexual violence and inhabitable conditions. We urge not less than $21 million for the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman to ensure that detainees and their family members have recourse for violations or misconduct. We also urge not less than $20 million for Alternatives to Detention Case Management Program, a program with more than 99% compliance rate with court and enforcement orders.  

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

• Office of Justice Programs, Tribal Access Program, enhances the ability of tribal governments and their authorized agencies to enter information into and obtain information from national criminal information databases. Combating the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis requires that tribes enhance their ability to exchange critical data across Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) systems. We urge Congress to uphold its treaty and trust responsibility to tribal nations by funding the Office of Justice Programs, Tribal Access Program at not less than $10 million.  
• Public Safety and Justice Funding, which supports the Bureau of Indian Affairs responsibility for law enforcement services in many tribal nations. A 2018 report found that current law enforcement needs on reservations are funded at less than 18% of estimated need. The situation has not improved much since then, and tribal nations remain some of the most underserved communities in the country. We urge Congress to uphold its treaty and trust responsibility to tribal nations, and funding tribal law enforcement and courts at not less than $2 billion.  

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027

• Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA), administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which provides critical support for unaccompanied children and their families as well as refugees. All refugees vetted and approved for entry to the United States who are waiting in limbo deserve admission and resettlement services, including legal services, mental health care to ensure every child’s safety and wellbeing, and economic independence programming. We urge not less than $6.32 billion for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance program.  

National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027

• Atrocities Prevention, which is the State Department’s only funding dedicated solely to preventing mass atrocities and genocide. These funds support combating disinformation, early warning networks, and peace committees that defuse conflict before it turns violent, as well as implementing the 2022 U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities. We urge not less than $25 million for Atrocities Prevention. 
  In tandem, we urge allocating the State Department not less than $1 million to conduct Atrocities Prevention Training as mandated by the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (P.L. 115-441), signed into law by President Trump in 2019.
• Reconciliation Programs, which support people-to-people reconciliation efforts that advance mutual understanding and conflict transformation between different ethnic, racial, religious, or political groups in conflict areas. We urge not less than $25 million for Reconciliation Programs.
• The Prevention and Stabilization Fund (PSF), authorized by the Global Fragility Act (P.L. 116-94), provides an innovative approach to foreign assistance, ensuring the U.S. Government can utilize long-term, adaptive, flexible, and evidence-based planning and programming. The PSF prioritizes programs and partnerships that prevent violent conflict and mass atrocities, in alignment with the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. We urge not less than $200 million for the PSF.
• International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA), which will facilitate the United States’ response to urgent humanitarian crises, refugee admission and resettlement in the United States, voluntary and legal return to home countries, and third-country resettlement. As conflict worldwide continues to rapidly escalate, investment in orderly and safe migration is critical. We urge not less than $8.7 billion for the International Humanitarian Assistance Account.  
• Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA), which enables the United States’ response to sudden displacement crises. Instead of relying on supplemental appropriations to source a historically underfunded account, Congress should keep ERMA steady to promote global stability. We urge not less than $100 million for the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance.
• Renewable Energy, which supports energy projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas pollution from energy generation and use in developing countries. Renewable Energy accelerates the deployment of clean energy technologies, policies, and practices. We urge not less than $247 million for Renewable Energy.
• Sustainable Landscapes, also referred to as the “Land Use, Management, and Protection Program,” which sustainably manages, protects, and restores forests and other natural landscapes. Protecting natural environments is key to reducing greenhouse gas pollution from further deforestation and land degradation. We urge not less than $176 million for Sustainable Landscapes.
• Adaptation, which assists developing countries with reducing their vulnerability to climate change impacts like hunger, intensified conflict, forced migration, and increased poverty. We urge not less than $270 million for Adaptation.  
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides critically needed food assistance, medical services, and educational infrastructure for vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria amid rising humanitarian demands throughout. Their work remains critical and lifesaving as they persist in delivering vital services despite regional and global complications. We urge that any limitations on funding be removed and not less than $344 million in funding be allocated to UNRWA.
• Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) programs, which have been implemented through previous U.S. support, to promote economic cooperation, people-to-people peacebuilding programs, and advance shared community building, peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. We urge not less than $100 million in funding to MEPPA.
• The East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), which provide a broad range of medical services and expertise in diagnosis, treatment and specialized care for the Palestinian population in the occupied territories, including Gaza and the West Bank. We urge not less than $120 million in funding to EJHN, and inclusion of the following report language: The Committee encourages the Department of State continue support to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network to sustain the provision of medicine, equipment, and administrative costs necessary for the continuity of life-saving care and medical evacuations from Gaza. The Committee directs the Department of State to submit a report within 60 days of enactment detailing the assistance provided to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and plans to ensure continued medical access for patients from Gaza.