Rosa DeLauro Slams GOP Colleagues For ‘Misguided Allocation’ In Proposed FY2025 Budget

5 months ago

On Wednesday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the State Department FY2025 budget request during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.

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00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Lora, you're recognized.

00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, as I previewed in my opening remarks,

00:07I first wanted to ask you about what I view as a misguided allocation for fiscal year 2025,

00:15and the impact on the State Department's critical diplomacy and development work.

00:20I was interested in the line of questioning with all the initiatives that we are talking about

00:26with regard to the State Department that need to be discussed and need to be worked on.

00:32I think the foundation of that is what kind of resources does the Department have to move

00:38forward. The recently announced top-line funding level for State and Foreign Ops

00:44for the appropriation bill proposes a nearly 12 percent cut. That's compared to the 2024

00:51enacted level. It's on top of an almost 6 percent cut from fiscal years 2023 to 2024.

00:58Let me be extremely clear. Nearly 12 percent cut to the SFOPS budget is a staggering

01:04$7 billion. Billion with a B. So, three questions in this regard, Mr. Secretary.

01:15You're deeply involved in conflicts in Ukraine, Middle East, maintaining a competitive

01:21advantage against China, trying to deal with other food assistance efforts around the globe.

01:33You have to conduct its day-to-day business from D.C. You're in almost every country in the world.

01:38How would losing $7 billion from the budget affect your Department's diplomatic capabilities

01:44and the implementation of U.S. foreign policy?

01:48Thank you. It would severely undermine our efforts across the board. As you said,

01:52this would take us back to FY 2014 funding levels. In other words, almost a decade ago.

02:01In terms of our hiring, in terms of our support for our diplomats, for our locally engaged staff,

02:07which is two-thirds of our employee base, in terms of our operations, in terms of our programs,

02:13this would have a – I don't want to exaggerate by saying devastating, but close to that

02:20impact on what we're able to do to actually advance the interests of the American people.

02:25If you look at the big things that we're trying to do to effectively engage the strategic

02:33competition with China, including by creating better alternatives for countries that are

02:39looking to choose between our path and theirs, it would severely penalize those efforts.

02:45Our ability to continue to sustain support with our allies and partners for Ukraine,

02:50and pushing back against Russian aggression, that would be severely undermined. Our ability

02:55to address a wide variety of global challenges that have impacts here in the United States,

03:02including things like the fentanyl crisis, as well as irregular migration, as well as

03:08dealing with climate and food security. Would each and every one of those be affected? No,

03:14because we'd have to make incredibly hard decisions, but some of them inevitably would

03:19be severely penalized. But let me be even more parochial about it, just to cite a few examples.

03:25Embassy security. We're trying to have more embassies in more places to make sure that

03:31we're fully represented. We want to open new embassies in the Pacific Islands, in the Caribbean,

03:38well, we need to secure those embassies. We would have trouble sustaining the current security

03:43levels for our existing embassies if we had these cuts. And then if you insulated those

03:47security programs, well, then of course the cuts would have to be felt elsewhere. Our ability to

03:53expand our diplomatic presence would probably be cut. The exchange programs that so many in

03:57Congress I know support and appreciate would face significant cuts. We'd probably have something

04:03like 600 or 700 fewer IVLP participants, curtailing one of our most valuable tools to

04:09connect with people around the world. IVLP. This is the International Visitors Leadership Program,

04:14I'm sorry. We would have, I think, we want to open new passport offices in this country,

04:20in different places, to respond to what has been historic demand. We would not be able to do that.

04:26I can go down the list, and we'll obviously provide this list to Congress in the interest

04:29of time. I won't do it now. But both in terms of the big muscle movements that we need to make,

04:35and very specific things that we want to sustain or grow for the American people,

04:40we would be severely penalized. So we're looking at a loss of personnel,

04:44of frontline critical personnel, and thereby, you know, just hurting our ability to pursue

04:51our own interests. And the number of priorities that would have to be put on a back burner.

04:58And if you can, Mr. Secretary, I know how busy you are and thereby your staff is busy,

05:04but I think it would be very, very helpful if this committee could understand what this $7

05:11billion cut, what is the consequences? I'm not looking for percentages, I'm not looking for

05:17numbers, but the actual consequences on American foreign policy, our diplomacy,

05:23our stature, and world leadership. We'd be happy to provide that to you.

05:27Thank you. I yield back. And thank the ranking member.

Rosa DeLauro Slams GOP Colleagues For ‘Misguided Allocation’ In Proposed FY2025 Budget

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