The Senate Appropriations Committee bill, passed by the full committee on July 29, provides $654.277 million for State Department exchanges, $21.077 million above the President’s request and $19.277 million above the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 level. The Senate Appropriation Committee's bill represents a significant increase over the $635 million appropriated in the House to match the enacted FY2010 funding level. Differences in the Senate and House versions will be resolved by a conference committee.
In a committee press release Thursday evening, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, issued the following statement:
“Although we could not fully fund the increases requested by the President, this bipartisan bill goes a long way to enhance the capacity of the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to carry out security, diplomacy and development programs in areas of crucial importance to the United States, particularly in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and the Middle East. It also provides new funding to help developing countries deal with climate change, and to support global health, agriculture and food security, disaster relief, and many other security, development and humanitarian needs. Senator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member, was instrumental in helping craft this bill, and I greatly appreciate his input and support.”
The overall bill, including development assistance funding, appropriates $54.06 billion, which is an increase of over $5 billion from current (FY 2010) funding. It is unknown how much of the State Department appropriation will go towards the Fulbright Program. The Fulbright Association continues to work with its partners on the Hill and through the coalition the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchanges to advocate for $270 million for the Fulbright Program in FY 2011.
