The House International Relations Committee began work today on major legislation to provide nearly $10 billion for State Department programs and other foreign policy initiatives for each of the next two years. 

    Authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee, HR 2601 authorizes $9.33 billion for the State Department and $652 million for international broadcasting activities, for a total of $9.985 billion in both FY 06 and FY 07, an increase of 12.4% over FY 05.

    “This legislation provides a significant framework for foreign policy formation,” said Smith, who as Vice Chairman of the full International Relations Committee, also chaired the mark-up session. “It creates new ways to improve our diplomatic relations, and the promotion of democracy, human rights and a greater world-wide appreciation of American ideals and humanitarian efforts in our post 9/11 world. I urge all to support it.”

    Smith said the bill fully funds the management and programs of the State Department and meets the President’s request. “In line with the President’s priority, my bill doubles U.S. contributions for international peacekeeping to just more than $1 billion. My bill also provides a 10.2% increase for international broadcasting bringing the funding $652 million. And we increase Education and Cultural Exchanges to $429 million, a 17% increase."

    Among the many health provisions in the bill, Smith called attention to his provision to authorize $5 million in each of the next two fiscal years provide medical care for women suffering from fistula – a painful abscess between a woman’s birth passage and one or more of her internal organs created by rape, other physical abuse or untreated, obstructed labor. 

    “An estimated two million women globally suffer from fistula, an excruciatingly painful condition responsible for about 40,000 worldwide maternal deaths annually.” Smith said. “At the cost of only $300 per surgical procedure, fistula can be cured and women’s lives will be saved,” he said. The Smith bill creates 12 new centers to provide surgery and post-surgery treatment for women with fistula in appropriate countries in the developing world.

    Smith, who authored the 1999 Embassy Security Act (PL 106-113—Division B), said the new bill, HR 2601, includes $1.5 billion for security-related construction of U.S. Embassies, $690 million to increase security for diplomatic personnel, and $930 million for border security programs, increases of 1.5%, 5.4% and 7.6% respectively. These requests include funding for 55 additional diplomatic security personnel positions and 55 new consular positions. Under the Capital Security Construction program, eight new embassy compounds and four USAID annexes would be funded. 

    “The world-wide promotion of human rights is at the center of this legislation,” Smith said. “Provisions that permanently authorize Radio Free Asia; promote democracy in Zimbabwe, Vietnam and Belarus, combat anti-Semitism and authorize $200,000 in training for the human rights investigators of the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland are just a few of the dozens of critical provisions in this legislation."