Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21) released the following statement after helping pass the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies funding bill for Fiscal Year 2021 out of the Appropriations Committee.

“When girls and women are better educated, healthier, and safer, their communities are safer and more prosperous,” said Rep. Frankel. “This bill will support gender equality, protect a woman’s full access to reproductive health care, invest in girls’ education, and combat gender-based violence.”

In addition to advocating for gender equality around the globe, Rep. Frankel championed billions in funding for America’s continued commitment to Israel’s security and millions to finance cooperative development projects to address sustainability challenges such as water resources, agriculture, and energy storage.

“Making sure Israel has the ability to defend itself is critical to our own national security,” said Rep. Frankel. “We must also continue to build on our shared values. This bill will expand the reach of our important partnership in international development and, at the same time, improve lives around the world.”

The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill provides $65.87 billion in funding, $8.467 billion above current levels and $21.158 billion above the President’s budget request. As a member of this Appropriations subcommittee and a former member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Frankel advocated for an array of programs, many of which will help women and families around the world, including:

Global Women’s Health:

• Provides a total of $6.26 billion to fight HIV/AIDS globally.
• Provides $850 million for USAID to promote maternal and child health.
• Provides $750 million for reproductive health and voluntary family planning, including $55.5 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
• Permanently repeals the Global Gag Rule.

Gender Equality:

• Provides $975 million for basic education and urges USAID to prioritize girls’ education, which is critical to their future economic empowerment and U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Provides $165 million to combat gender-based violence.
• Provides $130 million to implement the Women, Peace and Security strategy, to empower women as equal partners in conflict prevention, peace building, transitional processes, relief, and reconstruction efforts in countries affected by conflict or in political transition.
• Provides $100 million for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (WGDP) Fund.
• Provides $67 million to combat human trafficking.
• Provides $15 million for programs combatting child marriage.
• Provides $15 million for organizations that support women and girls at risk from violent extremism and terrorism.
• Provides $10 million each for the Office of Global Women's Issues and the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, which work to empower women and girls around the world through U.S. foreign policy.
• Provides $10 million for UN Women and $1.5 million for the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.

• Includes a new reporting requirement on steps taken by the U.S. to prevent, mitigate, and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian settings.

U.S.-Israel Relationship:

• Fully funds the $3.3 billion commitment for security assistance to Israel.
• Provides $2 million for USAID-Israel development cooperation.
• Fights anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, condemns the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, and protects Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region

For a full summary of the bill, click here.

Now that the legislation has passed out of committee, it will be brought to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks. If the Senate passes its own bill, appropriators will reconcile the differences to then send the result to the President’s desk for a signature.

###