POMED Notes: “Budget Hearing – Department of State”

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a budget hearing on the Department of State on Wednesday, April 17. Secretary of State John Kerry was the witness. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) presided over the hearing.

For full event notes, continue reading or click here for a PDF.

Representative Granger opened the hearing by noting that “the Arab Spring may last for a very long time…we must recognize that what happens in the Middle East and North Africa can and does impact us here at home.” She also emphasized the need for ensuring embassy security and requested an update on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the impact of “the recent changes in the Palestinian Authority.” Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) said, “Diplomacy and development are essential components of our national security strategy…these small investments greatly benefit our country.” She criticized basic education funding as being unacceptably low. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) cited the need to prioritize due to the Committee’s funding constraints, addressed embassy security, and noted the tough choices ahead.

Secretary of State John Kerry remarked that “we are still the indispensable nation and people all over the world look to us for leadership.” He quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in saying that “America’s investment in foreign policy is ‘national security insurance.’” Kerry said that rapprochement between Israel and Turkey “came about because we were able to be there, be present, be involved with both nations in ways that serve…all of our interests.” He argued that the Department’s FY 2014 budget request was a six percent reduction from 2012 funding levels and reflected reforms and reductions “that deliver the maximum bang for the taxpayers’ dollar.” Kerry stated that U.S. assistance had reduced violence in Kenya and saved lives in Pakistan, India, and Lebanon.

Kerry said the Arab Spring was “young people in a generational revolution believing they want to share in what the rest of the world has,” and that the U.S. has to “deal with this emerging aspiration…To that end, this budget requests $580 million for the Middle East and North Africa Incentive Fund (MENA IF) so we can help give reformers the tools and resources they need to make the right decisions…this fund will allow us to say to people: ‘If you’re willing to take on these deep-rooted challenges, if you’re willing to believe in democracy, if you’re willing to go to the polls, you’re willing to invest in the process, we are going to stand with you and we’re going to help you.’” Kerry asserted that “development is not charity. It’s an investment.” He also noted that “we’ve requested $4.4 billion to fortify our worldwide security protection and to improve our overseas infrastructure.”

Granger asked Kerry to explain the security commitments he’d received from Egypt and to talk about its economy and whether Egypt will have protections and rights for all its citizens. Kerry said he can’t give “assurances about what this current administration is going to do because I think they are still sorting through that.” He added that before his trip to Egypt, the U.S. had not provided any of the $1 billion it pledged. Kerry stated, “You don’t buy your interests” but “if you’re not helpful to people in their time of need… it’s very, very difficult to have the kind of leverage to say a diverse, pluralistic politics is critical to us.” He called Egypt vital to U.S. interests and said that the Egyptian military was an important investment, because “God knows where Egypt would have been without the military frankly being wise, and being restrained, and responding to the relationships built.” Kerry noted that the military did what it promised to do by holding an election and retreating to the barracks. He expressed hope that President Morsi would fulfill commitments to have a pluralistic, diverse government that reflects the will of the people, but admitted that he had doubts. Kerry argued, “We’ve got to be at the table and we’ve got to be part of the effort to show all of the Egyptian people that we’re not just there for one administration…we’re there for the people of the country.” He asserted that the Arab awakening would go through several incarnations, and that if the U.S. is not engaged in it, it will go places the U.S. won’t like. Granger then asked about Mexico and poaching in Africa.

Lowey asked Kerry about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s resignation, the PA and the U.N., other Arab states normalizing relations with Israel, and the Palestinian economy. Kerry called the peace process “the greatest challenge” and that even Asian leaders raise the issue. He said the Gulf leaders are ready to move forward and want peace achieved because “the instability of the region doesn’t help anybody.  They want to focus on reforms in their countries, change – the things they need to do to meet modernity.” Kerry said that Abbas will go to the U.N. if there is no legitimate process going forward.  He reported that both sides were serious about making progress and that President Obama asked him to see what is possible to do. Kerry spoke of the plans to improve the Palestinian economy, and said he wished Fayyad was not resigning.

Rogers asked about the vacant Deputy Secretary positions for Management and Legislation and the spend plan and justification for the recently passed continuing resolution. Kerry said that many of the Department’s vacancies should be filled soon as candidates were going through the vetting process and promised to provide the spend plan and justification as soon as possible.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) asked what the administration and international community is prepared to do if President Assad is confirmed to have used chemical weapons. Kerry declined to offer details but said it would be a game-changer and that President Obama has directed for all contingencies to be planned for and considered. Schiff also asked how the cycle with North Korea could be changed.

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) urged Kerry to assign a new Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. Citing threats to religious minorities in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria, Wolf asked Kerry to consider appointing a Special Envoy to advocate for religious minorities in the Middle East. Kerry said, “I will absolutely consider it. I want to find the best way to deal with this challenge…it is really a question of whether or not moderates in that region are going to be able to speak out, and speak for what is the real Islam, rather than the Islam that gets hijacked by people and taken to the extremes.”

Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) asked about ensuring that Fayyad’s successor will also fight corruption and encourage transparency, and how the U.S. is helping Jordan with Syrian refugees. Kerry said that he will express to President Abbas that Fayyad’s replacement needs to be someone the U.S. can have confidence in and trust and commended King Abdullah for being constructive in many ways.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) asked Kerry to touch on MENA IF, noting that in 2012, he had called it “a no brainer.” She conceded that the State Department needed flexibility but said it needed to be balanced with oversight and asked what could be expected from the fund going forward. Kerry responded, “I think MENA [IF] goes to the heart of how we’re going to be engaged or not engaged with this awakening that’s taking place…the reason we need to be engaged is that to some degree, the message of extremism is moving faster in some places than the message of democracy, and freedom, and rule of law, and opportunity, and so forth. So we have to decide…We’ve got to find an alternative to SEAL teams and drones and military expeditions…We have to decide what’s important to us now, and how do we do a better job responding to this challenge of increasing radicalism, extremism, terror, lack of choice, that is crowding out what we believe in and what we have fought so hard for so long in so many places…MENA [IF] is a tiny down payment…on a concept that we can actually help people to make a better set of choices and to provide alternatives of governance and capacity building so that those countries move in a different direction.” Wasserman Schultz also asked if Kerry would continue Secretary Hillary Clinton’s efforts in the area of women and girls, and about the situation in Venezuela.

Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA) asked about Israel and Turkey’s next step and, based on Kerry’s comments about engaging in Egypt, how the U.S. can expect to have influence in Syria when in many ways it hasn’t been there. Kerry said Israel and Turkey will agree on compensation packages and exchange ambassadors. He noted that the U.S. has been thanked for what it has done in Syria, but some groups feel it’s not doing enough and have concerns. Kerry added that the U.S. is doing “more than meets the eye.” Dent asked if the budget request including funds for UNESCO suggested a change in policy. Kerry said that the Obama administration thinks that choosing not to fund particular parts of the U.N. is self-defeating because then the U.S. cannot protect Israel and argue for its interests there and that “we can do better by sitting at the table and fighting.”

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) asked about PEPFAR and the Office of Global Health Diplomacy, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) asked about Mexico, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) asked about Venezuela’s election and the death of pro-democracy activist in Cuba, and Rep. Kevin Yoder (D-KS) asked about North Korea.