CRomnibus Analysis – 8 Takeaways from FY15 SFOPS Appropriations

The Government Didn’t Shut Down

Thanks for keeping the lights on, Congress. We’re also grateful for a full SFOPs bill (even if it took a couple of deadline extensions). Unfortunately, hurried negotiations may be to blame for a longer-than-usual list of reporting requirements and directives. Wherever the final joint explanatory statement is silent, agencies and departments are instructed to comply with language from both House and Senate reports that accompanied the draft bills released this summer.  

OCO Takes Over

At $50.9 billion, the International Affairs programs for FY15 receive a whopping .6 percent more than FY14 appropriations. No decline? Time to celebrate! Not just yet. Base appropriations did fall: 5.6 percent below FY14 and 16 percent below FY10. Overseas Contingency Operations funding made up the rest. This doesn’t bode well for SFOPS funding in future years as OCO’s magic money will dry up as the US presence in Afghanistan draws down.

Who Needs Multilateralism?

No IMF quota reform. Again. And based on the bill summaries, this was a point of pride with more than a few House Republicans. Folks at CGD (and lots of other experts) might sound like a broken record on this, but, seriously, this makes zero sense. Failure to act has and will continue to weaken US legitimacy in international financial policymaking; not to mention undermine growth and financial stability; and limited other US foreign policy goals such as support for Ukraine. Over at PIIE, Ted Truman has a Plan B. Members might just wish they’d gone with the Plan A and enacted the IMF legislation after all.

Dimming Power Africa

Plus-ups to support President Obama’s ambitious Power Africa initiative are nowhere to be found for OPIC, MCC, and other agencies key to driving energy access for hundreds of millions. But, OPIC was reauthorized and we don’t spot anything indicating a real opposition to the initiative. Let’s just hope Energize Africa gets to a vote so that we can be on our way to ensuring the initiative outlasts the current administration.

Forecasting Future Climate Fights

When it comes to the international climate agenda, everyone seems to be bracing for the battles ahead. The bill gave level funding for US contributions to the Climate Investment Funds, as well as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; but it was domestic emissions policies that received the lion’s share of attention. While the President didn’t request funding for the Green Climate Fund, a multilateral fund to help developing countries transition to clean energy and avoid the worst effects of climate change, the bill’s explicit prohibition on contributions to the new fund portends a tough road ahead for delivering on a $3 billion US pledge.

Same Old Food Aid

While not strictly part of SFOPs (food aid is still funded through agriculture appropriations), the United States’ largest international food assistance program received $1.466 billion. But even as both sides of the aisle boasted funding above the President’s request, the bill failed to include any of the President’s requested changes to improve the program’s notoriously inefficient sourcing and delivery. Also disappointing was the lack of funding for a local and regional procurement program authorized in the farm bill. Meanwhile, reform champions were forced to fend off a lame-duck sneak attack in legislation reauthorizing the Coast Guard. Fingers crossed that next year will bring real reform.

Ebola Really Scares Congress

At $5.4 billion, Congress largely funded President Obama’s $6.18 billion emergency funding request for the Ebola response. State and USAID get $2.5 billion of the request; HHS $2.7 billion. While Congress did not fund the requested contingency fund, just about everything else was funded (or quietly allowed in transfer authorities, like WHO and UNMEER contributions).

#Nicelydone:  A few other items of note

• Noting growing humanitarian needs in the Middle East, appropriators boosted funding for International Disaster Assistance ($505 million above the President’s request) and Migration and Refugee Assistance ($1.01 billion above the President’s request).

• Appropriators fixed the silly face value limit at USAID’s Development Credit Authority, which was preventing DCA from bringing other guarantee agencies to the table to unlock larger volumes of much-needed development finance. $1.5 billion available is a vast improvement from $750 million.

• A new reporting requirement might provide a shot in the arm for USAID’s Local Solutions initiative.  A provision requiring the USAID Administrator to submit a plan for better aligning human resource practices with the agency’s sustainable development goals. This could mean that in the future, USAID Foreign Service Officers would see greater value placed on expertise in local capacity building, additional training where needed, longer overseas assignments, and increased incentives for effectively carrying out sustainable development.

• And in a semi-win for government transparency, public disclosure of agency reports requested by the Appropriations Committees now encouraged (“upon a determination by the head of such agency that to do so is in the national interest;” heavy redactions sure to ensue).