{
  "id": "R44233",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R44233",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 446502,
      "date": "2015-10-19",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T18:09:18.407660",
      "title": "U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2016 Request",
      "summary": "This report is an overview of U.S. foreign assistance to the Middle East and North Africa. It includes a review of the President\u2019s FY2016 request for the region, a description of selected country programs, and an analysis of current foreign aid issues. We anticipate updating it annually. \nSince 1946, the United States has provided an estimated total of between $282 billion to $292 billion (obligations in current dollars) in foreign assistance to the region. For FY2016, overall non-humanitarian bilateral aid requested for Middle East and North Africa countries amounts to $7.14 billion, or about 13% of the State Department\u2019s International Affairs budget request. The State Department estimates that the Middle East stands to receive 35% of the geographically-specific assistance in the budget request, more than any other region. Like previous years\u2019 assistance levels to the region, more than 80% would support assistance for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the West Bank and Gaza.\nThe foreign aid data in this report is based on a combination of resources, including the United States Agency for International Development\u2019s U.S. Overseas Loans and Grants Database (also known as the \u201cGreenbook\u201d), appropriations data collected by the Congressional Research Service from the Department of State and USAID, data extrapolated from executive branch agencies\u2019 notifications to Congress, and information published annually in the State Department and USAID Congressional Budget Justifications.\nIn order to more accurately compare the Administration's FY2016 foreign assistance request to previous years' appropriations, aid figures in this report (except where otherwise indicated) refer only to bilateral assistance that is managed by the State Department or USAID and is requested for individual countries or regional programs. While this represents the majority of U.S. assistance to the Middle East, it is important to note that there are several other sources of U.S. aid to the region, such as International Disaster Assistance (IDA), Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), and Transition Initiatives (TI). Likewise, some nations receive assistance from U.S. agencies such as the Department of Defense, which is touched upon briefly below. Since foreign assistance provided through these accounts and agencies is not requested for individual countries, and country-level figures are not publicly available until after the fiscal year has passed, these accounts and agencies are excluded from this analysis. For foreign aid terminology and acronyms, see the glossary appended to the report.\nOn June 15, 2015, the House Appropriations Committee reported a FY2016 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill (H.R. 2772). On July 9, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reported its version of the bill (S. 1725). Both bills\u2019 accompanying committee reports (H.Rept. 114-154 and S.Rept. 114-79) include a number of Middle East-related provisions.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44233",
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "African Affairs",
    "Appropriations",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "Middle Eastern Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}