Press Releases

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) reported that his Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs (NSRP) funding measure.  

The measure would provide $47.3 billion, a $2.7 billion decrease from current enacted levels, for U.S. foreign policy efforts executed by the Department of State, U.S. contributions to the United Nations and its agencies and more.  

“I voted against this measure because while it did fund some critical Hawai‘i, Indo-Pacific and global priorities I requested, the bill as a whole weakens our global leadership when the world most needs our continued full engagement,” said Case.

Case, while opposing the overall funding reductions, welcomed support in the bill for several of his requests including $830 million for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), $1 billion for the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), $87 million for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), $20 million for the Asia Foundation and significant support for the Philippines including $200 million in Foreign Military Financing and $100 million under National Security Investment Programs.

He also welcomed support for his specific requests related to Hawai‘i and the Indo-Pacific, especially $16.7 million for the East-West Center in Honolulu, which was proposed to be zeroed out by President Trump in his budget request to Congress. While this funding is a meaningful improvement over a proposed elimination of Congressional support, it still represents a $5.3 million reduction from last fiscal year, underscoring that significant work remains to be done to fully restore support for the Center.

“Continued funding for our East-West Center and other world-leading institutions in Hawai‘i supports our country’s standing in an area widely seen as the most dynamic and critical on earth. As strategic competition intensifies and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific grow ever more important, this bill also secures key investments to strengthen regional stability, deepen our alliances and ensure the United States remains a leading and reliable presence in the region.”

Other bill provisions requested by Case, who continues as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus that advocated collectively for Pacific programs, include:

·      $1.8 billion for the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, which promotes peace, prosperity and democracy in the region.

·      $175 million in assistance for the Pacific Islands region, the same as FY 2026 enacted levels.

·      $2.5 million for partnering with Pacific Island nations and regional organizations to build capacity to oversee coastal fisheries management, combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and address transnational organized crime.

·      $3 million for the Advancing Port Enhancement and Customs Security Program in the Pacific Islands.  

·      Funding for the Pacific Islands Forum’s Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-led and member-owned financial institution designed to support Pacific Islands nations facing climate change and disaster risks.

·      Funding for commitments made by Deputy Secretary Landau to Pacific Island nations in his February 2026 trip, including to support subsea cable branching units for Tonga and Samoa, containing life-threatening disease outbreaks in Fiji, Foreign Military Financing for Fiji and the migration of Tongan government data assets to trusted cloud infrastructure.

·      Report language directing the DFC and USTDA to prioritize the Pacific Islands in financing for projects.

·      Report language supporting the Peace Corps’ expansion in the Pacific.

·      Language requiring a report on ways to strengthen U.S. trade and investment with the Pacific Islands.  

·      Funding for unexploded ordinance removal in the Pacific Islands, including Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

The report also included a provision that Case had requested repeatedly in previous years that the State Department better utilize faith-based organizations in aid implementation which is particularly effective in regions like the Pacific Islands where such organizations play a significant role in civil societ

“As we continue to focus on the growing influence of the PRC in the Indo-Pacific, our national security interests must also include diplomatic engagement and assistance to promote peace and diplomacy in the region,” said Case. “Ultimately, I had to vote against this measure since it falls short of doing just that.” 

The bill funds several foreign policy programs supported by Case at unacceptably low levels. Among them are: 

·      $310.2 million for contributions to international organizations, a decrease of $1.1 billion from FY 2026. 

·      $489.5 million to support international peacekeeping activities, a decrease of $741 million from FY 2026. 

·      $5 billion for International Humanitarian Assistance, a decrease of $400 million from FY 2026.

·      $235 million for Security Sector Programs (previously known as Peacekeeping Operations), a decrease of $100.5 million from FY 2026. 

·      $647 million for educational and cultural exchange programs, which include the Fulbright programs and other exchange programs that benefit Hawaii’s education institutions, a decrease of $20 million from FY 2026. 

·      $410.5 million for the Peace Corps, the same as FY 2026 but a $20 million cut from FY 2025. 

The bill also completely zeroes out funding for the U.S. Institute for Peace and International Organizations and Programs, the account that funds U.S. contributions to critical multilateral development organizations like UNICEF, UN Women and UN Development Program. It rescinds an additional $1 billion for humanitarian assistance and includes harmful partisan policy riders that endanger women's health by prohibiting funding to the UN Population Fund, fail to address the climate crisis by prohibiting funding to implement the Paris Agreement and codify the expanded Global Gag Rules that will further hinder U.S. foreign assistance efforts.

The measure is the third of the twelve bills to be taken up by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2027 (commencing October 1, 2026). 

The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration. 

A summary of the FY 2027 NSRP bill is available here.

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