McCollum Vote on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill. 

This legislation houses some of the most important diplomacy, development, and defense initiatives for the United States and the world at-large. The programs that are funded through this bill serve some of the neediest populations in the world, helping millions of people gain access to clean water, safe shelter, nutritious food, and democracy development.  

Unfortunately, the bill before us today abdicates U.S. leadership in all of these areas. It eliminates funding for the United Nations and underfunds operations and staffing of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.  It cuts funding for the Peace Corps and cuts a staggering $362 million from programs that improve maternal and child health around the globe. 

This bill ignores the existential threat of climate change, which affects the lives and livelihoods of families around the world, including here in America. Climate change is a known threat to our national security, yet there is no funding to help communities adapt to drought, rising coastlines, or extreme heat, and no funding to stop deforestation or recurring coastal flooding. Additionally, there is no support for adapting to renewable energy. 

Even in areas where we can usually find bipartisan agreement, this bill falls short. For example, the Feed the Future program, which has historically enjoyed bipartisan support across multiple administrations, received a $50 million cut. This program has helped feed 32 million children worldwide in the last year alone and has helped their families learn to farm sustainably and stand on their own. This cut will have devastating impacts on children and families that struggle with malnutrition and food instability. 

This is a deeply political bill that will diminish America’s leadership on the worlds stage, make it more difficult for us to support our allies and deter our adversaries, and will ultimately jeopardize our national security. For these reasons, I ask that my colleagues vote against it. 

Thank you, and I yield back.