Congress may be about to pass a new bipartisan funding bill for foreign assistance that, although it has some serious problems, funds important programs and pushes back on President Trump’s authoritarianism.
With just days left in the current federal spending agreement and a potential government shutdown beginning February 1, Congressional appropriators are working urgently to pass a new funding bill to cover the rest of fiscal year 2026 (FY26).
For more than a year, the government has been operating under Continuing Resolutions (CRs) that have extended federal spending packages negotiated in 2023. Without a new spending agreement, the administration could try to bypass Congress’s power of the purse by arguing that Congress de facto relinquished its role.
While not perfect, the NSRP bill funds important foreign assistance programs and pushes back against some of President Trump’s most severe proposed cuts.
On January 11, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees released a negotiated version of the FY26 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill (NSRP, H.R. 7006) that was on track to pass before the January 31 deadline.
While not perfect, the NSRP bill funds important foreign assistance programs and pushes back against some of President Trump’s most severe proposed cuts. The bill is a bipartisan compromise, in contrast to the partisan cuts in the Presidential budget request and the House’s earlier NSRP bill.
Important Victories in NSRP Appropriations Bill
In May 2025, the President’s budget request proposed zeroing out three of the only dedicated peacebuilding accounts: the Atrocities Prevention Fund, the Complex Crises Fund, and the Reconciliation Programs. However, in the January 11 compromise bill, the Atrocities Prevention Fund was given $6 million, saving it from elimination.
Additionally, the compromise bill allocates $1.389 billion for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account, which funds U.S. dues for the United Nations and other international organizations. While this is a 10% cut from the previous enacted level, it would still cover U.S. dues to the UN regular budget, UN specialized agencies and other international organizations despite the President’s recent efforts to leave these organizations.
Despite significant reductions, the NSRP bill preserves key international climate and conservation funding that the administration had proposed eliminating, without imposing new anti-climate policy restrictions. This includes $131.8 million for forest and marine protection, $125 million for renewable energy, and $192 million for climate adaptation in vulnerable regions.
The new NSRP bill … takes important steps to reinforce Congress’s constitutional power of the purse by fulfilling its responsibilities in a bipartisan manner.
In 2025, President Trump secured Congressional assent for a rescissions package that cancelled $14 billion in foreign assistance funding appropriated by Congress. While the new NSRP bill does not prevent future rescissions, it takes important steps to reinforce Congress’s constitutional power of the purse by fulfilling its responsibilities in a bipartisan manner. The compromise NSRP bill also strengthens Congressional oversight through detailed reporting requirements.
Remaining Concerns: Cuts and Problematic Provisions
Although the bill was not as harmful as the President’s budget request or House’s initial NSRP bill, it still limits U.S. soft power abilities and includes some dangerous provisions.
Total international affairs spending will be $50 billion, which is $9.3 billion less than current levels. The bill also asks for a review of UN voting practices. This review could further politicize foreign aid and reinforce harmful imperialist approaches.
We were deeply disappointed by language impacting U.S. policy on Israel-Palestine in the bill. It expedited $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel, a move criticized by several House members who ultimately voted no on the package due to Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank. It also includes a Section prohibiting any funds being used to support a Palestinian State, a departure from longstanding U.S. support for a two-state solution. Finally, the bill continued funding prohibitions on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the backbone of aid delivery in Gaza, and blocked support for international investigations into Israeli war crimes, undermining humanitarian access and accountability at a time of extreme civilian suffering.
While the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance account received funding in this bill, we are concerned by the combination of the International Disaster Assistance account and the Migration and Refugee Assistance account into the new International Humanitarian Assistance account. This will fund almost all U.S. foreign assistance and refugee resettlement, a dramatic departure from decades of distinct and separate funding streams.
Additionally, Section 7045(f), entitled “facilitating irresponsible migration,” is of concern. It prevents any funding from being used in ways that would “encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass-migration caravans toward the United States southwest border.” We are concerned that the inclusion of “publicize” and “manage” in the prohibition could be interpreted to prohibit humanitarian assistance funding.
The FY2026 NSRP bill is a hard-won bipartisan compromise in a very partisan political environment. Funding falls short of what is needed, but the bill preserves some essential peacebuilding tools. Most importantly, it asserts Congress’s constitutional responsibility and resists future attempts to undermine foreign aid and peacebuilding efforts.
