Department Of State, Foreign Operations, And Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 3081, 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. This legislation provides $48.843 billion for the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and related agencies to help the U.S. meet its foreign policy goals of economic stability and poverty reduction, advance the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other health crises.

This bill helps protect our national security through effective diplomacy and international development projects. It provides needed assistance to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq and it promotes security, economic development, health, and education around the world. The bill also provides vital resources to rebuild the capacity of the State Department and USAID. It reverses a decade of reliance on supplemental appropriations and provides an honest accounting of the true cost of critical national security initiatives.

To rebuild our diplomatic and development capacity, the bill provides funding for approximately 1,000 new positions at the Department of State and approximately 300 new employees at USAID as part of the Development Leadership Initiative, creating jobs that hardworking Americans can fill. This bill also provides a total of $7.684 billion for global health programs, including $5.7 billion in total funding for global HIV/AIDS prevention and health initiatives. Diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria continue to threaten the lives of millions of people as well as stability in the developing world, and this bill will advance our security interests while also fulfilling our moral obligation to fight this scourge.

Mr. Chair, H.R. 3081 enhances our ability to keep our Nation secure and our citizens safe. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

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