Press Releases

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Ed Case’s (HI-01) U.S. House Committee on Appropriations this week approved annual federal funding for the U.S. Department of State and other foreign operations focusing on international diplomacy and development including continued funding for the East-West Center in Honolulu. His Committee also approved another funding measure for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and various agencies focused on financial regulation, consumer protection and law enforcement.

The two measures are among twelve bills to collectively fund the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (commencing October 1, 2023). 

State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

The State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations measure funds U.S. foreign policy programs and agencies, including the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. contributions to the United Nations and its agencies and more. The bill provides for international diplomatic presence and outreach as well as foreign assistance in public health, basic education, educational and cultural exchanges, climate change and more.

The Appropriations Committee approved an overall funding level of $52.5 billion, a cut of $7.2 billion or 12% below the current fiscal year funding. Case voted against the bill.

In his remarks in Committee, Case said (in part):

“I am truly disappointed that an often promising and optimistic bill has succumbed to fatal flaws driven by partisan posturing and representing outdated and frankly dangerous positions undermining our indispensable, unavoidable world leadership role.

“The increases in funding and engagement in the Indo-Pacific generally and the Pacific Islands specifically deserve broad support.

 “However, these are countered by deliberate underfunding of foreign assistance overall and the outright elimination of support for institutions that underpin the international rules-based order. 

“Most egregiously, this unfortunate proposal slashes funding for development assistance by $1.3 billion, international disaster assistance by $793 million and economic support to other nations by another $1.3 billion. For contributions to linchpin international organizations like the United Nations, the bill offers up a fully 82% cut.

“Defunding these real-world efforts as this proposal would do undermines our progress, our reputation, our moral authority. It is not just an abdication of our duty as international leaders, but also subverts our own strategic interests and widens the path for others. 

 “Our enemies are more than happy to fill the void. We cannot forget that our own security depends not just on military might but on the strength of our partnerships the stability and prosperity of our international community.

“This particular proposal on balance is an unfortunate boon to those who would seek to undermine the United States’ position in the world to their own specific benefit. I sincerely hope it proves to be a blowing-off-steam moment rather than a misguided attempt at serious and consequential policy.

NOTE: Video of his remarks to the Committee is here. Text of his remarks is here.

Programs and provisions in the measure as passed secured by Case and related to Hawai‘i and the Indo-Pacific include:

• $19.6 million for the East-West Center, down from $22 million for FY 2023,
• $1.2 billion for diplomatic engagement and $2.2 billion for assistance in support of the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy to promote peace, prosperity and democracy in the region.
• $175 million for the Pacific Islands region, an increase of $25 million.
• Report language supporting funding for the Young Pacific Leaders Program, a Department of State program for emerging young leaders from Hawai‘i, Guam, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and other Pacific nations.
• Report language encouraging the Department of State to increase the number of scholarships available for Pacific Islanders to study in the United States, many of whom study at the University of Hawai‘i.
• $411 million for the Peace Corps, a decrease of $20 million over the FY 2023 enacted level.
• Language in support of expanding the U.S. diplomatic presence in the Pacific Islands and expanding the programming of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in the region.
• Report language requiring the Department of State to create a strategy on trade capacity building in the Pacific Islands.
• Report language recommending the expansion of the International Law Enforcement Academy to the Pacific Islands and supporting the Pacific Islands in their efforts to combat transnational crime. 

The bill also sustains or increases funding for several foreign policy programs supported by Case including:

• $421 billion for peacekeeping operations, a decrease of $40 million.
• $1.3 billion to support United Nations international peacekeeping activities, a decrease of $213 million.
• $701 million for educational and cultural exchange programs, which include the Fulbright programs, a decrease of more than $76 million.
• $246 million for contributions to international organizations, down from $1.4 billion for FY 2023.
• $2 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• $910 million for maternal and child health programs.
• $970 million for basic education, an increase of $810 million.
• $2.5 billion for migration and refugee assistance, a decrease of $364 million.

Financial Services and General Government

The bill as passed proposes to spend $24.7 billion to fund the U.S. Treasury Department, federal courts, the Federal Communications Commission, the Office of Personnel Management and various independent agencies. Case voted against the bill.

For the SBA, the bill provides $823 million, including $299 million for entrepreneurial development programs that assist small businesses with quality training, counseling and access to resources. 

This is a decrease of $72 million, or 8%, over the current year.

“Our Hawai‘i is truly Small Business Country, with some 135,000 small businesses making up 99 percent of all businesses in the state and employing some 275,000 of our people,” said Case. “We also have a very unique small business mix, with some of the highest levels of minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses in the country, as well as small business economy. All of this takes unique, targeted assistance, which the SBA provides, and so I focus especially on SBA and other federal programs that benefit our small businesses.

“Unfortunately, even with the proposed resources for Hawai‘i, I could not support this measure in its current form,” said Case. “Aside from insufficiently funding the SBA, the bill slashes funding to federal agencies like the Internal Revenue Service which works to ensure that the many that pay their taxes are not shortchanged by the few that don’t, the Consumer Product Safety Commission that protects the public from unsafe products, and the Securities and Exchange Commission that protects the fairness of financial markets.” 

Case, who was presented with the Special Congressional Award in May by the Small Business Council of America, was still able to gain approval in the measure for his funding requests for federal programs and services important for the State of Hawai‘i including: 

·        $30 million for the Native American Community Development Financial Institution Assistance Program, 

·        $5 million for the Native American Outreach Program, 

·        $3 million for the Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program,

·        $27 million for the Women’s Business Centers Program, 

·        $5 million for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, 

·        $140 million for Small Business Development Centers, 

·        $109 million for the Drug-Free Communities Program, 

·        $20 million for the State Trade Expansion Program, 

·        $8 million for the Regional Innovation Clusters Program,

·         $297 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program,

·         $41 million for the Microloan Technical Assistance Program, and

·         Continuation of an additional federal judgeship for Hawai‘i to handle a high caseload.

The bill also provided $279 million for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are specialized community-based financial institutions that promote economic development by providing financial products and services to people and communities underserved by traditional financial institutions, particularly in low-income and minority communities.  

The two bills now move on to the full House of Representatives for consideration. 

A summary of the FY 2024 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations is here.

A summary of the FY 2024 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations is here.

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