Administration Requests Supplemental Funds for Current Fiscal Year

On February 17, 2006 President Bush sent a $72.4 billion supplemental appropriations package covering ‘emergency’ spending needs for the current fiscal year. Of that total, $4.2 billion is for the State Department and international organizations and $65.3 billion is for the Department of Defense. A second supplemental totaling $19.8 billion for Hurricane Katrina Relief in the Gulf States was also sent to the Hill.

Most of the additional funds set aside for International Affairs programs in the FY06 supplemental are for use in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan and democracy promotion activities in Iran. $1.7 billion is set aside for extraordinary wartime costs for the State Department and USAID operations and their security in Iraq and Afghanistan. An additional $1.6 billion is included to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict Iraq.

The package includes $514 million for Darfur and Southern Sudan. Of this amount, $123 million is for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and $69.8 million is set aside for the UN Mission in Southern Sudan. Anticipating a UN takeover of the AMIS mission to Darfur, which is likely to occur by summer, the supplemental includes a provision that allows funds earmarked for AMIS to be transferred to the UN. Of the remaining funds, approximately $30 million will go to assist and repatriate Sudanese refugees in Chad and Liberia and around $300 million is for International food aid.

Other notable additions in the supplemental include $1.637 billion in Economic Support Fund (ESF), which will provide assistance mostly for Iraq but also for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. Additionally, $50 million is appropriated for expanding and improving Radio Farsi broadcasts and $15 million for democracy promotion activities in Iran.

Supplemental funds were also set aside for the Development Assistance (DA) and Child, Survival and Health Programs Fund (CSH), both accounts that have faced significant cuts over the past two budget cycles. However, these funds totaled only $15.8 million – $5.3 million for CSH, and $10.5 million for DA – and do little to offset the decreases of past years. In fact, they are specifically designated as reimbursements for funds transferred to the Pakistani earthquake relief in 2005.

Updated February 21, 2006