The FY2022 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Budget Request

The FY2022 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Budget Request

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INSIGHTi
The FY2022 State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Budget Request
Updated June 4, 2021
Overview
Each year, Congress typical y considers 12 distinct appropriations measures to fund federal programs and
activities. One of these is the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)
bil , which supports a range of U.S. activities around the world.
On May 28, 2021, the Biden Administration released its proposed FY2022 budget request (a summary
was released on April 9). The request includes $64.15 bil ion in new budget authority for SFOPS accounts
($63.62 bil ion net of rescissions of prior year funding), which may be compared with FY2021 funding in
various ways. For example, the requested amount is
 10% less than the total FY2021-enacted level (which includes more than $23 bil ion in
emergency and Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funds), and
 14% more than enacted FY2021 base and OCO funding (excluding emergency funding
used primarily for Coronavirus Disease 2019 [COVID-19] response).
The FY2022 SFOPS request is higher than any SFOPS total funding level enacted in the past decade,
with the exception of FY2021, in current dollars (Figure 1).
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The Budget Control Act and OCO
Figure 1. SFOPS Requests and Funding,
Between FY2012 and FY2021, the appropriations
FY2012-FY2022 Request
process was shaped by discretionary spending
(In bil ions of current U.S. $)
caps put in place by the Budget Control Act of
2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25). Congress managed the
80
BCA constraints in part by designating a portion
70
of annual SFOPS appropriations as “Overseas
60
Contingency Operations (OCO)” or “emergency”
funding, both of which were excluded from BCA
50
discretionary budget limits.
40
30
The BCA caps expire after FY2021, so the
20
FY2022 budget cycle is the first in a decade in
10
which the caps wil not be a consideration. The
Biden Administration’s FY2022 budget request
0
does not include OCO-designated funding.
State Department and Related
Base
OCO
Agency Highlights
Emergency
Request, Total
Title I of the SFOPS appropriations bil provides
Department of State and Related Agency
Sources: Annual SFOPS CBJs; P.L. 116-94; P.L. 116-123;
appropriations. It primarily supports Department
P.L. 116-136; P.L. 116-260; P.L. 117-2, Title X; CRS
of State diplomatic programs and security
calculations.
activities, as wel as U.S. assessed contributions (required dues) to international organizations and for
international peacekeeping activities. Title I also funds the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
The Biden Administration’s stated priorities for Department of State and Related Agency accounts in
FY2022 include:
 Personnel. The Administration’s request asserts that in order for the State Department to
advance U.S. foreign policy and national security interests, it must invest in a global
workforce “that more fully represents the breadth of America’s talent and diversity.” To
this end, the request supports funding for approximately 255 additional Foreign Service
personnel and 230 additional Civil Service personnel. The request also includes $49
mil ion to “broaden recruitment, diversity, and inclusion programs” across the State
Department, an increase of nearly $28 mil ion from the FY2021 funding level. The
request also notes that the State Department’s personnel require state of the art
cybersecurity protections to carry out their mission. It thus cal s for $101 mil ion in
cybersecurity enhancements from a new, whole-of-government Cybersecurity Reserve
fund, including for cloud security, multifactor authentication, and enhanced monitoring
tools, to increase the State Department’s resilience following the SolarWinds cyberattack.
 Contributions to International Organizations and for International Peacekeeping
Activities. The Administration’s request seeks $3.59 bil ion for assessed contributions
(membership dues) and other expenses related to U.S. membership and participation in
international organizations and peacekeeping activities, exceeding the FY2021-enacted
funding for these purposes by 21%. It prioritizes payment of U.S. peacekeeping arrears to
United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping missions that have accumulated as a result of a cap
on such payments that Congress enacted in 1994 due to concerns that U.S. assessments
were too high. The request cal s for $300 mil ion to begin paying down such arrears and

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argues that doing so wil provide the United States more leverage in advancing its U.N.
reform priorities. Separately, the request seeks $9.4 mil ion to support a Multilateral
Strategy and Personnel Office within the Bureau of International Organization Affairs
that is intended to “build and expand U.S. influence in international organizations.”
 Consular and Border Security Programs. The Consular and Border Security Programs
(CBSP) account, which serves as the operating account for the State Department’s
Bureau of Consular Affairs, is typical y funded exclusively through department-retained
consular fees and surcharges. However, disruptions in international travel related to the
COVID-19 pandemic have caused such fee collections to decline. The Administration is
requesting $320 mil ion in appropriated funds to augment reduced fee revenue (which the
State Department expects to total around $2.8 bil ion in FY2022, or $700 mil ion less
than the $3.5 bil ion annual collection level prior to the pandemic). Among other
priorities, the request seeks a $40 mil ion increase in funding for the State Department’s
passport services directorate, which in part reflects increased expenses associated with
the Next Generation passports and a $2.5 mil ion decrease in funding for overseas citizen
services, such as crime victim assistance and emergency support to destitute citizens.
Foreign Operations Highlights
Titles II-VI of the SFOPS bil fund the Foreign Operations accounts. They comprise the majority of U.S.
foreign assistance included in the international affairs budget; the remainder is food assistance supported
through the agriculture appropriation. The Administration’s budget request identifies three “critical
threats” and the FY2022 Foreign Operations resources intended to address those threats:
 COVID-19 Pandemic Public Health and Economic Crises. The Administration
requests $10 bil ion in Global Health Programs, a nearly $1 bil ion increase (9%) over
FY2021 enacted base funding. These additional funds are intended to be complemented
by increased engagement with other donors and multilateral institutions to “stamp out
future infectious disease outbreaks before they become pandemics.”
 Climate Change. The Administration seeks to “[reestablish] U.S. leadership on climate
change” through increased investments in multilateral and bilateral climate-related
assistance. The proposal includes a $625 mil ion contribution to the Green Climate Fund,
which would be the first U.S. contribution since 2017, and $994 mil ion for State and
USAID climate programs, which is nearly double the FY2021 funding level. The budget
request also seeks to integrate climate change considerations into other foreign assistance
sectors, including food security, gender equality, and migration, among others.
 Countering Authoritarianism. The budget proposes a multipronged approach to
combating authoritarianism, including countering the influences of China and Russia, but
does not yet offer specific funding levels for these priorities. The request proposes level
funding for the Democracy Fund when compared with FY2021-enacted levels and cites
democracy, human rights, and governance as priorities within a number of appropriations
accounts, including Development Assistance, Transition Initiatives, and Economic
Support Fund, among others. State Department Operations and USAGM funds under
Title I are likely to be dedicated for this purpose as wel .
In addition to these identified priorities, notable Foreign Operations changes from the FY2021 request or
enacted appropriations include the following:
 Humanitarian Assistance. The Administration proposes $10 bil ion in humanitarian
assistance, the highest request (in current U.S. dollars) for humanitarian accounts in the
past decade.

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 Economic Support Fund (ESF). The Administration requests nearly $4.3 bil ion in ESF,
representing a 35% increase over FY2021 base funding and the largest increase among
the bilateral assistance accounts in the budget proposal.
The Administration is expected to release appendices to accompany the budget request in the coming
weeks. CRS is currently preparing a comprehensive report on the FY2022 SFOPS budget request and
related congressional action.

Author Information

Cory R. Gill
Emily M. Morgenstern
Analyst in Foreign Affairs
Analyst in Foreign Assistance and Foreign Policy

Marian L. Lawson

Section Research Manager

Disclaimer
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