US Congress Rejecting Cuts in Foreign Aid, Diplomacy

 

United States congressional committees have rejected proposals to sharply cut spending for U.S. diplomatic and foreign assistance programs.

In his first budget, President Donald Trump¹ called for a reduction of nearly one third in the State Department’s budget. The State Department directs U.S. diplomatic and foreign assistance efforts across the world.

On September 7, a Senate committee voted to continue most State Department spending at current levels. A House committee earlier also rejected many of the proposed cuts.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees² State Department spending.

Graham said that America faces major problems, such as the conflict over North Korea’s nuclear weapons, disputes with Russia and China, and threats from Islamic State militants³.

“Now is not the time for retreat, now is the time to double down on diplomacy⁴ and development,” Graham said. By double down, he means to increase efforts rather than cut spending.

Heather Nauert is the official spokesperson for the State Department and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. She defended the spending cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

“Just because a budget reflects a smaller number on the part of the administration does not mean that diplomacy is not important. This administration values that. We all value that. The 75,000 people who work here each and every day here and around the world value that, and we keep pushing forward with it.”

Tillerson is expected to announce a reorganization plan for the State Department on September 15. It is expected to suggest ways the department could carry out diplomatic and other responsibilities at a lower cost.

One idea Tillerson may be considering is to move the processing of passports, visas and other travel documents from the State Department to the Department of Homeland Security.

A study found the change would save money and improve security, the Reuters news agency reported. The study was done for a company that is advising Tillerson on the State Department reorganization plan.

Last month, Tillerson told senators that he plans to eliminate some special envoys⁵ that work on foreign policy issues for the government, Foreign Policy Magazine reported.

Special envoys work on international issues considered important by government officials. Among the positions proposed for cancellation⁶ are those working for the rights of disabled persons and promoting peace in Africa.

Some of the work done by envoys will be given to other State Department offices, Tillerson said. He added that other envoys are no longer needed because their work was already completed.

Money to deal with militants

The Senate Appropriations⁷ Committee approved a bill that would provide $500 million to hold, repopulate and establish government services in areas freed from Islamic State rule in Iraq and Syria.

The bill would also provide $3.1 billion to support refugees affected⁸ by conflict and “other natural and man-made disasters,” with another $3.1 billion for international disaster assistance.

About $19 million would be provided to help women and girls at risk from extremism in majority Muslim nations and other countries.

The bill would also provide $8 million for programs “to promote human rights” in North Korea and another $15 million to support “democracy and rule of law” in Venezuela.

Both House and Senate spending bills provide no money for the Green Climate Fund. The Senate committee’s spending report notes that President Trump did not request any money for the program.

Trump has withdrawn⁹ the United States from the 2016 Paris climate agreement. Under the deal, 165 nations agreed to work together to stop rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere.

Earlier this month, Congress approved a “continuing funding resolution,” which provides money for most federal spending through December 31. Final congressional votes on funding for the State Department and other agencies for the remaining nine months of the 2018 fiscal¹⁰ year will come later.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

Words in This Story

retreat - v. the act or process of moving away

pushing - v. to move forward

recommendation - n. a suggestion about what should be done

eliminate - v. to get rid of a position

promote - v. to advance a cause or outcome

fiscal year - n. a 12-month period used by a government, business, or organization to calculate how much money is being raised and spent

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

6 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

7 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。