On Monday, the State Department sent to Congress more details about its big request for US$1 billion in 2016 assistance to Central America, as part of next year's foreign aid budget proposal. Compared to 2014, this US$1 billion package would mean a tripling of foreign aid budget assistance to the region, especially to the three "Northern Triangle" countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), which suffer very high violent crime levels.
On January 16, Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, the FY2014 Omnibus appropriations bill, also referred to as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. This marks the first budget passed since December 2011 (FY2012) and appropriates approximately $1.1 trillion in federal discretionary spending. By passing the bill, Congress has funded most of the federal government’s activities through September 30, 2014.
The Omnibus includes funding for the State Department and Foreign...
In mid January the United States Congress passed the FY2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, an Omnibus bill that appropriates funds for all government departments, including the Departments of State and Defense. The last time Congress passed a comprehensive Omnibus bill was the FY2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act. A close look at both bills can provide useful insights into U.S. policy goals for the upcoming year, and how those goals may...
This post was drafted by WOLA Program Assistant Ashley Davis.
Last month the U.S. Congress approved, and President Obama signed into law, a 2014 Omnibus appropriations bill, funding most of the federal government’s budget for the rest of the year. The bill includes funding for the State Department and foreign aid. Below are some highlights of how it affects aid to Latin America and the...