Order Code RL31370
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
State Department and Related Agencies:
FY2005 Appropriations and FY2006 Request
Updated July 26, 2005
Susan B. Epstein
Specialist in Foreign Policy and Trade
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
State Department and Related Agencies:
FY2005 Appropriations and FY2006 Request
Summary
State Department funding, formerly in the Commerce, Justice, State (CJS)
appropriation, is now in the House’s Science, State, Justice, Commerce (SSJC)
Appropriation and in the Senate’s State-Foreign Operations Appropriation. The State
Department authorization is required biannually, providing ceilings and the authority
for the Department of State to spend its appropriation. S. 600, State Department
authorization for FY2006 and FY2007, is currently before the Senate and the House
passed H.R. 2601 on July 20, 2005.
The President sent his FY2006 budget to Congress on February 7, 2005.
Included was the Department of State FY2006 budget request for a total of $9,283.1
million (8.8% less than the FY2005 enacted level, including supplemental funds and
rescissions) and the international broadcasting FY2006 budget request for $651.9
million (a 8.8% increase from the FY2005 level, including supplementals and
rescissions). Of particular interest was the Administration’s request for a 20.9%
increase in educational and cultural exchanges and a request for a more than doubling
of U.S. contributions for international peacekeeping. What was notably missing from
this budget request was funding for U.S. embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On February 14, 2005, the President sent to Congress an $81.9 billion
emergency supplemental request. It included more than $2,212.5 million for
Department of State accounts including embassy costs in Iraq and Afghanistan and
U.S. contributions to international peacekeeping. It also contained $7.3 million to
support international broadcasting in Arab and Muslim populations and to upgrade
transmission facilities in Tajikistan. The enacted FY2005 supplemental (P.L. 109-13,
signed May 11, 2005) includes a total of $2,013.3 million for those accounts.
The House Appropriations Committee reported its SSJC bill (H.R. 2862) on
June 10, 2005 (H. Rept 109-118), providing a total of $9,031.8 million for the
Department of State and $630.9 million for international broadcasting. The House
passed the bill on June 16, 2005 with a vote of 418 to 7. Some accounts were reduced
causing the total funding for the Department of State to be $8,950.7 million. The
total for international broadcasting remained the same at $630.9 million.
The Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee approved
its FY2006 funding bill (H.R. 3057) on June 29, 2005, providing a total of $9,700
million for the Department of State, including $652 million for international
broadcasting. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported its version of H.R.
3057 (S.Rept. 109-96) on June 30th, providing a total of $9,057.3 million for the
Department of State and $651.9 million for international broadcasting. The Senate
passed it (98 to 1) on July 20th.
For FY2005 State Department funding, the President signed the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2005 into law (P.L. 108-447) on December 8, 2004. The final
FY2005 enacted funding for the Department of State amounted to $8,174.7 million
and $591.6 million for international broadcasting.
Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
State Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Administration of Foreign Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
International Organizations and Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
International Commissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Related State Department Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Broadcasting Board of Governors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Visa Issuance and Homeland Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
List of Tables
Table 1. State Department and Related Agencies Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
State Department and Related Agencies:
FY2005 Appropriations and FY2006
Request
Background
Budgets for the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG), as well as U.S. contributions to United Nations (U.N.) International
Organizations, and U.N. Peacekeeping, are within the Science, State, Justice,
Commerce (SSJC) Appropriations in the House and in the State, Foreign Operations
Appropriations in the Senate.1 Intertwined with the annual appropriations process
is the biannual Foreign Relations Authorization that, by law, Congress must pass
prior to the State Department’s expenditure of its appropriations. Senator Lugar
introduced a State Department authorization bill for FY2006 and FY2007 (S. 600)
on March 10, 2005. Congressman Chris Smith introduced a House version of the
State Department authorization bill (H.R. 2601) for FY2006 and FY2007 on May 24,
2005. (For details on the history and past foreign relations authorization legislation,
H.R. 1950/S. 2144, see CRS Report RL31986, Foreign Relations Authorization,
FY2004 and FY2005: State Department and Foreign Assistance.)
On February 7, 2005, the Administration sent its FY2006 budget request to
Congress. The requested funding level for the Department of State is $9,283.1
million, representing a 13.6% increase over the previous year’s enacted level. For
international broadcasting, the request of $651.9 million represents a 10.2% increase
over the FY2005 enacted level.
One week later (on February 14th) the Administration sent its FY2005
emergency supplemental budget request to Congress. The $81.9 billion request, on
top of its FY2005 enacted budget and FY2006 request, included more than $2,212.5
million for U.S. embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. contributions to the U.N.
for international peacekeeping, and $7.3 million for international broadcasting. The
enacted FY2005 supplemental provides $2,013.3 million for those accounts.
The FY2005 CJS appropriation was included in Division B of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of FY2005 which was signed into law (P.L. 108-447) on
December 8, 2004. It set State Department funding at $8,283.2 million and
international broadcasting at $599.6 million. After calculating the two rescissions
— Sec. 640 of Division B required a 0.54% rescission to be applied to all
discretionary accounts within CJS, and Sec 122 of Division J contained another
1 Prior to the FY2006 budget request, the Department of State appropriations were within
the Commerce, Justice, State and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations.
CRS-2
rescission of 0.80% across all agencies within the act — the totals are $8,174.7
million for State and $591.6 million for international broadcasting.
For FY2006, the House Appropriations Committee reported its SSJC bill (H.R.
2862) on June 10, 2005 (H. Rept 109-118), providing a total of $9,031.8 million for
the Department of State and $630.9 million for international broadcasting. The House
passed the bill on June 16, 2005, with a vote of 418 to 7. Some accounts were
reduced, so the bill contains a total of $8,950.7 million for the Department of State
and $630.9 million for international broadcasting.
The Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee approved
its FY2006 funding bill (H.R. 3057) on June 29, 2005, providing a total of $9,716.0
million for the Department of State which includes $651.9 million for international
broadcasting. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported its version of H.R.
3057 (S.Rept. 109-96) on June 30th recommending $9,057.3 million for the
Department of State and $651.9 million for international broadcasting. On July 20th,
the Senate passed its bill with these funding levels, after reducing Embassy Security
by $5 million and increasing by $5 million the Center for Middle Eastern-Western
Dialogue.
Table 1 provides regular and supplemental State Department and related
agencies’ appropriations for FY2004, FY2005, and the FY2006 request. Rescissions
for FY2005 are reflected in the table.
State Department
The State Department’s mission is to advance and protect the worldwide
interests of the United States and its citizens through the staffing of overseas
missions, the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, the issuance of passports and visas, and
other responsibilities. Currently, the State Department coordinates with the activities
of 50 U.S. government agencies and organizations in operating more than 260 posts
in over 180 countries around the world. The Department’s staff size has increased,
largely because of the integration in 1999 of Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
(ACDA) and the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) into State. Currently, the State
Department employs approximately 30,000 people, about 60% of whom work
overseas. Highlights follow.
Administration of Foreign Affairs
Diplomatic and Consular Programs (D&CP) — The D&CP account funds
overseas operations (e.g., motor vehicles, local guards, telecommunications,
medical), activities associated with conducting foreign policy, passport and visa
applications, regional bureaus, under secretaries, and post assignment travel.
Beginning in FY2000, the State Department’s Diplomatic and Consular Program
account included State’s salaries and expenses, as well as the technology and
information functions of the former USIA and the functions of the former ACDA.
CRS-3
For the FY2006 budget, the Administration is requesting $4,472.6 million for
D&CP, a 7.2% increase over the enacted FY2005 level, but 8.8% less when including
the FY2005 supplemental funds. Included in the FY2006 request is $333.9 million
for public diplomacy expenses and $689.5 million for worldwide security upgrades.
The House passed $4,436.6 million, including $689.5 million for worldwide security
upgrades and $340 million for public diplomacy programs. The Senate bill contains
$4,444.6 million for D&CP, including $328 million for public diplomacy and $689.5
million for worldwide security upgrades.
The Administration’s FY2005 emergency supplemental budget request sought
an additional $767.2 million for D&CP. Of this, $690 million was to be for costs
associated with the U.S. Mission operations in Iraq; $60 million for U.S. Mission
operations in Afghanistan; and $17.2 million to establish State’s Office of the
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. The emergency supplemental (P.L.
109-13) provides $734 million for D&CP, including $663.5 million for U.S. Mission
operations in Iraq, $60 million for Mission operations in Afghanistan and $7.7
million for the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction & Stabilization.
The enacted FY2005 funding level for D&CP was set at $4,172.2 million,
including $320 million for public diplomacy. Within the D&CP account, the
conferees also designated $649.9 million for worldwide security upgrades. They
noted progress by State on right-sizing embassies and urged continued efforts in
staffing overseas posts. The conferees provided $836.5 million for the FY2005
Border Security Program, of which $75 million is from appropriated funds and
$661.5 million will be derived from machine readable visa (MRV) fees.
Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance (ESCM) — This account
supports the maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of overseas facilities to
provide appropriate, safe, secure and functional facilities for U.S. diplomatic
missions abroad. Early in 1998, Congress had enacted $640 million for this account
for FY1999. However, following the embassy bombings in Africa in August 1998,
Congress agreed to more than $1 billion (within a supplemental funding bill) for the
Security and Maintenance account by establishing a new subaccount referred to as
Worldwide Security Upgrades.
For FY2005, Congress enacted $603.5 million for regular ESCM and $900.1
million for worldwide security upgrades. The conferees included language to
establish the Capital Security Cost Sharing Program, as requested by the
Administration in that budget request.
For FY2006, the President requested $615.8 million for regular ESCM
expenditures and $910.2 million for worldwide security upgrades, for a total account
level of $1,526.0 million, a 1.5% increase over FY2005 enacted funding. The most
significant portion of funding for this account — that needed for the U.S. embassies
in Iraq and Afghanistan — were not included in the President’s FY2006 State
Department request, but were included in the Administration’s FY2005 supplemental
budget request that was sent to the Hill a week later. The supplemental provided
$592 million for embassy construction in Baghdad, $663.5 million for embassy
operations in Iraq and $60 million for embassy operations in Afghanistan.
CRS-4
The House-passed bill provides $603.5 million for regular ESCM in addition
to $910.2 million for worldwide security upgrades. The Senate-passed bill reduced
by floor amendment regular ESCM from $603.8 million to $598.8 million, and
agreed to $900.2 million for embassy worldwide security upgrades.
Educational and Cultural Exchanges — This account funds programs
authorized by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, such as
the Fulbright Academic Exchange Program, as well as leadership programs for
foreign leaders and professionals. Government exchange programs came under close
scrutiny in past years for being excessive in number and duplicative. By a July 1997
executive order, the Office of U.S. Government International Exchange and Training
Coordination was created. For the FY2002 budget, Congress passed $237 million,
including $125.4 million for the Fulbright programs. For FY2003 this account
funding was $243.7 million, including $131.5 million for the Fulbright programs.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2004 set the funding for Educational and
Cultural Exchanges at $316.6 million, including $150.0 million for Fulbright. The
conferees noted that exchanges with Eastern European and former Soviet Union
countries are to be built into the base of the Educational and Cultural Exchanges, but
Congress did not provide the money necessary to fully fund those programs.
The FY2005 appropriation for exchanges overall totaled $355.9 million.
Included is $160.5 million for the Fulbright Program which, according to the
conferees, is to include a Foreign Student Program with Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to public diplomacy funds requested within the D&CP account, the
President’s FY2006 request for Educational and Cultural Exchanges totals $430.4
million which represents a 20.9% increase over the FY2005 level. The President’s
request for this account includes $180.0 million targeted for key Muslim populations.
The House bill contains $410.4 million for this account (in addition to the $340
million in D&CP for public diplomacy). This level is $20 million below the
President’s request, but is $54.5 million above the current-year level. The Senate
passed $440 million for exchanges, more than either the President’s request or the
House-passed levels.
The Capital Investment Fund (CIF) — CIF was established by the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act of FY1994/95 (P.L. 103-236) to provide for purchasing
information technology and capital equipment which would ensure the efficient
management, coordination, operation, and utilization of State’s resources. In
FY1998 Congress approved a 250% increase in this fund, from $24.6 million in
FY1997 to $86 million in FY1998.
For FY2004, Congress enacted $79.2 million for the FY2004 CIF account. In
addition, an estimated $114.0 million was to be derived from expedited passport fees,
providing a total of $194.0 million for FY2004. Conferees noted that $39.6 million
was provided within the Diplomatic and Consular Programs (D&CP) account for IT
improvements.
The FY2005 request for CIF was $155.1 million (95.8% above the FY2004
enacted level), with an additional $114.0 million in estimated Expedited Passport
Fees to be combined with CIF funds to provide a total $269.1 million for information
CRS-5
technology and communication systems at the Department of State. However,
Congress enacted $51.5 million for CIF in FY2005 and also created the Centralized
Information Technology Modernization Program, with an appropriation of $76.8
million. Combined the two accounts totaled $128.3 million, 17.3% less than
requested for overall IT funding.
For FY2006, the Bush Administration is requesting $133.0 million for CIF and
no funds for the Centralized Information Technology Modernization Program. The
CIF request represents a 3.7% increase when compared with the combined
technology accounts funded in FY2005. The full House passed $128.3 million —
virtually the same as the current-year funding for technology, but nearly $5 million
below the President’s request. This level was reduced, however, to $69.1 million.
The Senate-passed bill contains $58.9 million for CIF and $74.1 million for the
Centralized Information Technology Modernization Program, new in the FY2005
budget year.
International Organizations and Conferences
In recent years, U.S. contributions to U.N. international organizations and
peacekeeping activities have been complicated by a number of issues, such as the
withholding of funds related to international family planning policies and the recent
debate on U.N. reform. Some controversial issues have included 1) the lack of
agreement about the U.N.’s role in the current worldwide dispute on how to deal with
Iraq; and 2) the loss of the U.S. seat on the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.
In past years, overdue U.S. arrearage payments had been an issue. Shortly after
the September 11th terrorist attack and at a time when the U.S. government was
seeking U.N. support in its coalition to fight terrorism, however, Congress passed,
and the President signed, legislation (S. 248/P.L. 107-46) which allowed the United
States to make its second tranche ($475 million) of arrearage payments to the U.N.
(For more detail, see CRS Issue Brief IB86116, U.N. System Funding: Congressional
Issues, by Vita Bite.)
Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) — CIO provides funds for
U.S. membership in numerous international organizations and for multilateral foreign
policy activities that transcend bilateral issues, such as human rights. Maintaining
a membership in international organizations, the Administration argues, benefits the
United States by advancing U.S. interests and principles while sharing the costs with
other countries. Payments to the U.N. and its affiliated agencies, the Inter-American
Organizations, as well as other regional and international organizations are included
in this account.
For FY2006 President Bush requests $1,296.5 million for international
organizations, 11.2% greater than the FY2005 enacted level. The request represents
full funding of U.S. assessed contributions to the 47 international organizations. As
passed by the House, the SSJC bill (H.R. 2862) contains the same funding level as
Congress enacted for FY2005 — $1,166.2 million. This level is $130.3 million
below the President’s request. This level was later reduced to $1,144.3 million. The
Senate-passed bill (H.R. 3057) includes $1,166.2 million.
CRS-6
Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) — The United
States supports multilateral peacekeeping efforts around the world through payment
of its share of the U.N. assessed peacekeeping budget. The President’s FY2006
request totals $1,035.5 million. This represents 114.2% increase over the FY2005
enacted level of $483.5 million. The conferees expressed concern that the
Administration had voted in the U.N. Security Council for five new or expanded
peacekeeping missions (Haiti, Burundi, Uberia, Cyprus, and Ivory Coast) without
seeking appropriations for them from Congress. That is why the FY2006 request is
more than double the previous year’s funding level.
In addition to the Administration’s FY2006 request for a large increase,
however, the President sought $780 million for CIPA in its FY2005 emergency
supplemental request. (This amount mirrored the amount the Administration said
was lacking in the enacted FY2005 budget for U.N. peacekeeping missions that the
Administration voted for in the U.N. security council last year, but did not seek
funding for in the FY2005 budget cycle.) The emergency supplemental request
included $55 million that the Administration wanted for flexibility to transfer to
voluntary U.S. contributions to a Sudan War Crimes Tribunal. (For more detail on
international peacekeeping, see CRS Issue Brief IB90103, United Nations
Peacekeeping: Issues for Congress, by Marjorie Ann Browne.) Congress passed
$680 million, $100 million less than requested for this account in the emergency
supplemental (P.L. 109-13).
For the FY2006 CIPA account, the House passed $1,035.5 million, the same as
the Senate-passed bill and the President’s request.
International Commissions
The International Commissions account includes the U.S.-Mexico Boundary
and Water Commission, the International Fisheries Commissions, the International
Boundary Commission, the International Joint Commission, and the Border
Environment Cooperation Commission. The FY2006 request of $70.3 million
represents an 11.1% increase from the FY2005 level of $63.3 million. The House
bill, however, provides $63.8 million, slightly more than the current FY2005 level
of $63.3 million, but $7 million less than the President’s request. The Senate agreed
to $70 million for international commissions for FY2006.
Related State Department Appropriations
The Asia Foundation — The Asia Foundation is a private, nonprofit
organization that supports efforts to strengthen democratic processes and institutions
in Asia, open markets, and improve U.S.-Asian cooperation. The Foundation
receives both government and private sector contributions. Government funds for
the Asia Foundation are appropriated to, and pass through, the State Department. For
FY2005, Congress funded the Foundation at $12.8 million, even though the
President’s request of $8.9 million was well below that level. The Administration
request for FY2006 is $10 million, nearly a 22% decrease as compared with the
FY2005 level. The House agreed with the Administration’s request of $10 million
CRS-7
for the FY2006 Asia Foundation account. The Senate passed $15 million for the
Asia Foundation in FY2006.
The International Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue Trust Fund —
The conferees added language in the FY2004 conference agreement for the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2004 to establish a permanent trust fund for the
International Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue. The act provided $6.9
million for perpetual operations of the Center which is to be located in Istanbul,
Turkey. Despite the fact that the Administration did not request any FY2005 funding
for this Center, Congress provided $7.3 million for it in FY2005. The
Administration is requesting to spend $.8 million of interest and earnings from the
Trust Fund for program funding in FY2006. The House bill includes no funding for
this account. A Senate floor amendment increased funding for this account by $5
million providing a total of $7 million for FY2006.
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — The National Endowment for
Democracy, a private nonprofit organization established during the Reagan
Administration, supports programs to strengthen democratic institutions in more than
90 countries around the world. NED proponents assert that many of its
accomplishments are possible because it is not a government agency. NED’s critics
claim that it duplicates U.S. government democracy programs and either could be
eliminated or could operate entirely with private funding. NED’s enacted FY2004
budget was $39.6 million. President Bush included a proposal in his State of the
Union address in January 2004 to double NED’s funding in FY2005 to $80 million
for its Greater Middle East Democracy Initiative. However, final congressional
action provided $60 million for NED for FY2005. The conferees strongly
encouraged NED and its four core grantees to focus funding on democracy promotion
activities in the Middle East.
The Administration’s FY2006 budget request of $80 million for NED amounts
to the same as its FY2005 request. This represents a 35.1% increase over the enacted
$59.2 million for FY2005. The House-passed bill includes $50 million for NED in
FY2006, $30 million below the President’s request and more than $9 million below
the FY2005 funding level. However, it is more than $10 million higher than NED’s
FY2004 funding level. The Senate agreed to $88.8 million for NED’s FY2006
funding level. This is $21 million more than the FY2005 enacted level and $8.8
million more than the President had requested. The S.Rept. 109-96 explains that an
additional $80 million for NED is within a new State Department Democracy Fund
account in Title III of H.R. 3057.
East-West and North-South Centers — The Center for Cultural and Technical
Interchange between East and West (East-West Center), located in Honolulu, Hawaii,
was established in 1960 by Congress to promote understanding and cooperation
among the governments and peoples of the Asia/Pacific region and the United States.
The Center for Cultural and Technical interchange between North and South (North-
South Center) is a national educational institution in Miami, FL, closely affiliated
with the University of Miami. It promotes better relations, commerce, and
understanding among the nations of North America, South America and the
Caribbean. The North-South Center began receiving a direct subsidy from the
federal government in 1991. The enacted FY2004 appropriation included $17.7
CRS-8
million for the East-West Center and no funds for the North-South Center. For
FY2005 the East-West Center received $19.2 million while, once again, no funds
were included for the North-South Center.
The Administration’s FY2006 request is for $13 million (a decrease of 32.3%)
for the East-West Center and no funds for the North-South Center. The House
funding of the East-West Center is $6 million and provides no funds for the North-
South Center. The Senate-passed version of H.R. 3057 provides $20 million for the
East-West Center and no funds for the North-South Center.
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The United States International Broadcasting Act of 19942 reorganized within
USIA all U.S. government international broadcasting, including Voice of America
(VOA), Broadcasting to Cuba, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio
Free Asia (RFA), and the newly-approved Radio Free Iraq and Radio Free Iran. The
1994 Act established the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to oversee all U.S.
government broadcasting; abolished the Board for International Broadcasting (BIB),
the administering body of RFE/RL; and recommended that RFE/RL be privatized by
December 31, 1999. This recommendation was repealed by P.L. 106-113.
During the reorganization debate in 1999, the 105th Congress agreed that
credibility of U.S. international broadcasting was crucial to its effectiveness as a
public diplomacy tool. Therefore, Congress agreed not to merge broadcasting
functions into the State Department, but to maintain the Broadcasting Board of
Governors (BBG) as an independent agency as of October 1, 1999.
In 2004, the 9/11 Commission recommended the international broadcasting
receive an increase in funding, and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention
Act of FY2004 (P.L. 108-458) included language to support free media in Muslim
populations.
Congress enacted a total of $591.6 million for international broadcasting in
FY2005 — $30 million more than the President’s FY2005 request. The conferees
expressed concern about the “blurring of distinction” between the broadcasting done
by the BBG and that done by the Department of Defense and required the BBG to
report to congressional committees of any such DoD activities.
Additionally, the Administration’s FY2005 emergency supplemental budget
request included $7.3 million for international broadcasting — $4.8 million for
activities related to broadcasting to the greater Middle East, and $2.5 million to
upgrade transmitting facilities located in Tajikistan. The enacted emergency
supplemental (P.L. 109-13) provided those funding levels as requested.
2 Title III of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, P.L. 103-
236.
CRS-9
For FY2006 international broadcasting activities the President is requesting
$651.9 million with an emphasis on enhancing programming for the war on
terrorism, as well as a $10 million increase for modernization of techniques and
technology for Cuba Broadcasting. The House bill includes $630.9 million for
broadcasting, including $27.9 million for Cuba Broadcasting. The Senate passed a
total of $651.9 million for international broadcasting, including $37.6 million for
Cuba Broadcasting, as requested by the President.
Visa Issuance and Homeland Security
The State Department traditionally has had sole authority to issue visas
overseas. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (H.R. 5005/P.L. 107-296, signed into
law on November 25, 2002) now provides the Secretary of the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) with exclusive authority to: 1) issue regulations regarding
administering and enforcing visa issuance, 2) impose upon any U.S. government
employee, with consent of the head of his/her agency, any functions involved in visa
issuance, 3) assign DHS employees to each overseas post where visas are issued, and
4) use the National Foreign Affairs Training Center to train DHS employees who will
be involved in visa issuance. The act states that these authorities will be exercised
through the Secretary of State. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 further provides
the Secretary of State and consular officers with the authority to refuse visa
applications. The act stipulates that within one year after the act is signed, the
Secretary of DHS and the Secretary of State must report to Congress on
implementation of visa issuance authorities and any proposals that are necessary to
improve the activities surrounding visa issuance. Specifically regarding visa issuance
in Saudi Arabia, the act stipulates that upon enactment of the act, the third party
screening program in Saudi Arabia will terminate, but on-site personnel of the DHS
shall review all visa applications prior to adjudication there.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 did not alter the current authority for the
Department of State to use machine readable visa fees in its expenditures. State’s
total allocation of machine readable visa fees in FY2001 was $395.3 million; in
FY2002 it was $443 million; the FY2003 estimate is $623.3 million; and the FY2004
estimate is for $687.5 million. The FY2005 appropriation includes $661.5 million
from MRV fee collections. The budget request for FY2006 includes a request for the
use of $672.1 in MRV fees. The fees are typically used for State Department border
security programs, technology, and personnel.
Now, because of terrorism, the visa issuance process takes much longer and the
U.S.-led war may have reduced demand for travel to America. Thus, officials are
seeing a gap between the MRV fee total estimates and actuals. The emergency
supplemental appropriation helped to fill that gap in FY2004.
CRS-10
Table 1. State Department and Related Agencies Appropriations
(millions of dollars)
FY2005
FY2006
FY2006
Supp.
Supp.
Supp.
House-
Senate-
FY2004
P.L. 108-
P.L. 108-
FY2005
P.L. 109-
FY2006
passed
passed
enacted
106
287
enacted*
13
request
H.R. 2862 H.R. 3057
State Department
Diplomatic & Consular Program
4,063.5
120.5
665.3
4,172.2
734.0
4,472.6
4,436.6
4,444.6
Public Diplomacy
(301.6)
(320.0)
(327.9)
(340.0)
(328.0)
Worldwide Security Upgrades
(639.9)
(649.9)
(689.5)
(689.5)
(689.5)
Ed & cultural exchange prog. (USIA)
316.6
355.9
430.4
410.4
440.2
Office of Inspector General
31.4
30.0
30.0
30.0
33.0
Representation allowances
8.9
8.5
8.3
8.3
8.3
Protec.-missions & officials
9.9
9.7
9.4
9.4
9.4
Embassy security/constr/maintenance
524.4
603.5
592.0
615.8
603.5
598.8
Worldwide security upgrades
852.3
43.9
20.0
900.1
910.2
910.2
900.2
Emergency-diplo. & consular services
1.0
115.5
1.0
13.6
10.0
13.6
Repatriation loans
1.2
1.2
1.3
1.3
1.3
Payment American Inst. Taiwan
18.6
19.2
19.8
19.7
19.8
Foreign Service Retirement Fund
135.0
132.6
131.7
131.7
131.7
Capitol Investment Fund
79.2
51.5
133.0
69.1
58.9
CRS-11
FY2005
FY2006
FY2006
Supp.
Supp.
Supp.
House-
Senate-
FY2004
P.L. 108-
P.L. 108-
FY2005
P.L. 109-
FY2006
passed
passed
enacted
106
287
enacted*
13
request
H.R. 2862 H.R. 3057
Centralized Information Tech Modernization Program
76.8
0.0
0.0
74.1
Total, Administration of Foreign Affairs
6,042.0
279.9
685.3
6,362.2
1,326.0
6,776.1
6,640.3
6,738.9
International Organ. & Conf.
Contributions to international organizations
999.8
1,166.2
1,296.5
1,144.3
1,166.2
Contributions to international peacekeeping
450.1
245.0
483.5
680.0
1,035.5
1,035.5
1,035.5
Total International Organ. & Conf.
1,449.9
245.0
0.0
1,649.7
680.0
2,332.0
2,179.8
2,201.7
Total International Commissions
57.2
0.0
0.0
63.3
0.0
70.3
63.8
70.0
Related Appropriations
Int’l Cntr for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue
6.9
7.3
0.8
0.0
7.0
The Asia Foundation
12.9
12.8
10.0
10.0
15.0
National Endowment for Democracy
39.6
59.2
80.0
50.0
8.8**
East-West Center
17.7
19.2
13.0
6.0
20.0
Eisenhower Exchange
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
Israeli Arab Scholarship
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
Total Related Appropriations
78.0
99.4
104.7
66.9
46.7
Total State Department
7,627.1
524.9
685.3
8,174.7
2,006.0
9,283.1
8,950.7
9,057.3
CRS-12
FY2005
FY2006
FY2006
Supp.
Supp.
Supp.
House-
Senate-
FY2004
P.L. 108-
P.L. 108-
FY2005
P.L. 109-
FY2006
passed
passed
enacted
106
287
enacted*
13
request
H.R. 2862 H.R. 3057
International Broadcasting
Capital Improvements
11.3
8.4
2.5
10.9
10.9
10.9
Broadcasting Operations
540.3
40.0
583.1
4.8
603.4
620.0
603.4
Broadcasting to Cuba
-.-
-.-
37.6
0.0
37.6
Total International Broadcasting
551.6
40.0
0.0
591.6
7.3
651.9
630.9
651.9
TOTAL State & Broadcasting
8,178.6
564.9
685.3
8,766.3
2,013.3
9,935.0
9,581.6
9,709.2
*FY2005 enacted figures reflect a 0.54% rescission within the CJS (Division B) portion of the omnibus law and the 0.80% across-the-board rescission applied to all accounts within
the act.
**The Senate Appropriations Committee provides an additional $80 million to NED for FY2006 within Title III for a new account under the State Department entitled Democracy
Fund.