{
  "id": "97-211",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "97-211",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 104849,
      "date": "1998-03-02",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:56:05.174941",
      "title": "Appropriations for FY1998: Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs",
      "summary": "The annual Foreign Operations appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which\nCongress reviews the U.S. foreign aid budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making\ngenerally. It contains the largest share -- about 67% -- of total U.S. international affairs spending.\n  For Foreign Operations programs, President Clinton sought $13.324 billion in discretionary\nbudget authority for FY1998, $1.056 billion, or 8.6% higher than available for last year. Most of\nthe increases were concentrated in three activities: multilateral development bank (MDB)\ncontributions, especially payment of arrears; Partnership for Freedom (PFF), a new phase of U.S. aid\nto Russia and other former Soviet republics; and meeting emerging regional democracy, human rights,\nand peace making needs. In addition (and not included in the $13.324 billion), the Foreign\nOperations proposal included $3.521 billion for U.S. participation in the International Monetary\nFund's New Arrangements to Borrow (IMF/NAB). Other issues receiving considerable attention\nwere: bilateral development aid policy priorities, especially child survival and infectious disease\nprograms; regional allocations of economic aid; and population assistance and congressional\nrestrictions on abortion.\n  On July 17, the Senate agreed to a $13.3 billion foreign aid spending bill ( S. 955 ),\nover $1 billion higher than FY1997 funding and only $24 million below the President's request. The\nSenate also approved the $3.5 billion IMF/NAB proposal. The House passed its version of the bill\n( H.R. 2159 ) on September 4, setting overall funding considerably lower at $12.267\nbillion. Compared with the President's request, the House cut funds sharply for aid to the former\nSoviet Union and for U.S. contributions to the World Bank's International Development Association\n(IDA). The House bill also excluded U.S. payments for the IMF/NAB.\n  After weeks of delay over policy and funding disputes, House/Senate conferees met on October\n28 and agreed to a $13.15 billion Foreign Operations appropriations for FY1998 ($12.787 billion for\nregular programs, plus $360 million for multilateral development bank arrears). Conferees, however,\ncould not reach an accommodation on two issues -- international family planning restrictions and U.S.\nparticipation in the IMF's New Arrangements to Borrow. Negotiations continued until Nov. 12 when\nconferees filed a conference report that deleted both the House-passed family planning restrictions\nand the Senate-passed IMF/NAB funding. Efforts to attach other Administration foreign policy\npriorities to the Foreign Operations bill, including funds for U.S. arrearage payments to the U.N. and\nState Department reorganization, also failed.  H.R. 2159  passed the House on Nov. 12\n(333-76), followed by Senate approval (voice) on Nov. 13. The President signed the legislation Nov.\n26 ( P.L. 105-118 ).\n  The Foreign Operations appropriation was influenced by a number of other bills and resolutions\nmoving through Congress in 1997. Perhaps the most prominent was the budget resolution for\nFY1998. Negotiators reached agreement May 15 on final details of a five year budget plan that for\nFY1998 made foreign policy spending a priority budget item, fully funding the President's $19.45\nbillion request.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}