Ranking Member Lee Opposes Republican State, Foreign Operations Funding Bill that Abdicates United States Leadership, Weakens National Security
WASHINGTON — Today, House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Barbara Lee (CA-12) opposed Republicans’ extreme 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill.
Congresswoman Lee’s full remarks as prepared for delivery can be found here. House Democrats were united in their opposition to the legislation that proposes a 12 percent cut below 2024 to the bill’s overall funding level.
“This partisan bill panders to the most extreme voices, disregarding the real-world consequences for our allies, vulnerable populations, and the existential threat of climate change,” State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Ranking Member Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) said. “It projects a worldview that sees issues and countries as black and white, good and evil. If we don’t like everything about an organization or can’t control all their actions, this bill prohibits funding it. It is our way or the highway, and this is fundamentally undemocratic for a country that stands for democracy. A 12 percent cut is unsustainable and will undermine the hard-fought gains in national security, human rights, global health, and environmental protection that we've achieved over the years. I could not in good conscience support this legislation today, and look forward to improving this bill in the coming weeks and ensuring the US does not abandon our allies, vulnerable populations, or the fight against climate change.”
“Much like last year, House Republicans’ extreme fiscal year 2025 State, Foreign Operations bill resurrects the doomed isolationism of the early 20th century. Just a few months after Democrats and Republicans voted for final bipartisan 2024 funding bills, the majority proposes we decimate this critical bill with a 12 percent cut from where we just were in March,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “With this bill, House Republicans are catering to their most extreme members at the expense of America’s historic position on the world stage. They are threatening our national security by ceding United States’ leadership to our adversaries. This bill harms women’s health globally, fails to address the climate crisis, and leaves behind some of the most vulnerable people facing the most unthinkable conditions around the world. Republicans must abandon their reckless and partisan path and join Democrats at the table to govern.”
This bill:
- Threatens national security by abdicating U.S. world leadership at the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral and international financial institutions by not including any funding for the UN Regular budget, the UN Development Program, UN Women, and UNICEF.
- Threatens women’s health globally by prohibiting the United States from contributing to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), substantially underfunding bilateral family planning, and reinstating the Global Gag Rule on non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. assistance.
- Hampers the U.S. response to the climate crisis by eliminating support for communities’ ability to adapt to weather changes, sustainable landscapes, and clean energy programming.
- Underfunds the operations and staffing of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Congresswoman DeLauro’s full remarks as prepared for delivery are here.
A summary of the bill can be found here. A fact sheet of the bill is here.
The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here.