State Department and Related Agencies FY1998 Appropriations

Publication Date: December 1997

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

The President's FY1998 budget request, announced February 6, 1997, included $5.41 billion for the Department of State, U.S. Information Agency (USIA), United Nations (U.N.), Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), and other U.S. foreign policy-related organizations. The request represented nearly a 6% increase over the FY1997 enacted appropriations. On March 17, 1997, the Administration also submitted to Congress an FY1998 budget amendment that would provide authority to make a one-time transfer of funds totaling $113 million from State to other U.S. agencies that use overseas administrative services. The transfer would provide a transition for a new cost-sharing system to be implemented by the end of FY1998. Additionally, the President requested a supplemental for advance appropriations of $921 million for U.N. arrearages to be paid and scored in FY1999.

On June 5, 1997 Congress approved a five-year budget plan that would fully fund all State and related agency programs at the President's request for FY1998. The House passed its version of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for FY1998 and FY1999 (H.R. 1757) June 11, 1997. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee marked up and ordered reported the Senate version of the Foreign Relations Authorization for FY1998 and 1999 on June 12. Neither measure was passed by Congress, because of a controversial international family planning provision that was attached in the House. Both bills would have provided the required authority for State Department and related agency spending nearly at the Administration's FY1998 request level, and both would have authorized the President to reorganize the foreign policy agencies.

The full Senate passed its Commerce, Justice, State (CJS) appropriations bill (S.1022)July 29th, providing $4.014 billion for State and $1.087 million for USIA. The House passed its CJS appropriations (H.R. 2267) on September 30, 1997. It provided $4.002 billion for the State Department and $1.092 billion for USIA. On Nov. 13th, Congress passed the CJS appropriations which included a waiver of the requirement for authorization prior to expenditure of State and related agency appropriations.