Twenty-two national and international organizations urge robust funding for the international affairs budget including programs that prevent violent conflict, mitigate atrocities and protect civilians.
April 3, 2017
Dear Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Appropriations:
As members of the Prevention and Protection Working Group* – a broad-based coalition of organizations dedicated to the prevention of violent conflict and mass atrocities, and the protection of civilians – we urge you to:
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Push for a 302(b) funding level for the International Affairs Budget at no less than $60 billion for Fiscal Year 2018,
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Protect diplomatic and development tools that are critical to advancing U.S. national security through the effective prevention of mass atrocities and violent conflict,
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Reject efforts to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development as an independent agency necessary to complement other government efforts, and
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Include specific report language directing the administration to address state fragility, the prevention of atrocities and violent conflict, and the promotion of more peaceful and secure societies as a U.S. national security and foreign policy priority.
During this time of increased security threats and violent conflict, we are deeply concerned about proposed disproportionate cuts to the mere 1% of the United States budget that goes to fund crucial civilian tools needed to best address the root causes of violence and instability.
Cuts to the International Affairs Budget run counter to American interests and national security, undermine U.S. leadership, and directly impact the world’s most vulnerable populations. If enacted by Congress, the White House’s proposed cuts will cost American taxpayers far more money in the long term when the U.S. government is forced to resort to expensive late action in response to expanding crises like those in Iraq and Syria.
We are further concerned that cuts to the international affairs budget could result in the closing of embassies and USAID missions, and warn that the consequences of sporadic engagement in places like South Sudan, Burundi, and CAR feeds into cycles of crisis that are not in the interest of the citizens of those countries, regional security, or the U.S. taxpayer.
We recognize your important leadership and oversight role as members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, which is why we urge your support for funding at no less than $60 billion for International Affairs funding in FY18 as well funding for the critical accounts detailed in the chart below at no less than the level requested.
Our support for “elevating and strengthening diplomacy and development” echoes more than 120 retired 3 and 4-star generals, in recognizing that: “The State Department, USAID…and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.” As the Secretary of Defense James Mattis has advised, “If you cut the State Department’s budget, then you need to buy me more bullets.”
Over the past 15 years, nearly half of the world’s population has been affected by some form of political violence. There has been a significant uptick in violent conflict globally since 2014[^v]. As the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned Congress last year the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community: “A vicious cycle of conflict resulting from weak governance, the rise of violent non-state actors, insufficient international capacity to respond to these complex challenges, and an increase in global migration all contribute to global security risks.”
In the face of such threats, now is the time for Congress to recommit the much-needed civilian resources to ensure that the U.S. Government has the full complement of tools – including adequate diplomatic and development resources – necessary to tackle some of the most complex challenges that have been witnessed in decades. And, because the U.S. cannot and should not work to solve these challenges alone, we urge you to maintain funding for the United Nations to promote burden sharing, and ensure the U.S. continues to support effective collaboration with our allies.
We urge you to fully support, and not undercut, the critical work of the State Department, and USAID in supporting American interests, advancing global security, and saving lives. Finally, we urge that funding for the prevention of violent conflict not come at the expense of other effective humanitarian and development funding. Thank you for your support and leadership.
Sincerely,
Alliance for Middle East Peace
Alliance for Peacebuilding
American Values Network
Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation
Better World Campaign
Carl Wilkens Fellowship
Charity and Security Network
Enough Project
Friends Committee on National Legislation
George Mason Genocide Prevention Program
i-ACT
Invisible Children
Jewish World Watch
Mercy Corps
Pax Christi International
Peacebuilding Connections
Peace Direct
Saferworld
Search for Common Ground
STAND: The Student-led Movement to End Mass Atrocities
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Cc: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
[i]: PPWG has repeatedly urged the funding of the Complex Crises Fund (CCF) at $100 million, which matches the $100 million in 1207 transfer authority that was the predecessor to CCF and is the number originally intended when the account was created by the Senate in FY2010.
[ii]: $36 million for Conflict Stabilization Operations meets the funding number passed in the House version of the FY17 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs bill.
[iii]: Funding for USAID’s Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM) core budget has suffered significant reductions since 2010. It is now at a third of its former $9 million. Funded through Development Assistance, report language should be included to restore CMM’s core budget to no less than $6 million.
[iv]: $77.6 million for Transition Initiatives meets the funding number passed in the House version of the FY17 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs bill as well as past White House and PPWG requests.
*The Prevention and Protection Working Group is a coalition of human rights, religious, humanitarian, anti-genocide, peace and other organizations dedicated to improving U.S. government policies and civilian capacities to prevent violent conflict, mass atrocities and protect civilians threatened by such crises.
