Washington, DC – Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after supporting passage of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies funding bill for Fiscal Year 2022 out of the Appropriations Committee.

The bill puts the United States back on the world stage with renewed commitments to diplomacy, development assistance, and cooperation with America’s international partners. It advances many of Rep. Frankel’s priorities including empowering women and girls around the world, investing in global education, and continuing critical support for Israel.

The bill includes robust funding for global access to family planning, education, and efforts to end gender-based violence: “When women have access to education, health care, and economic opportunities, and are able to live a life free from violence, their families, communities, and our world are safer and more prosperous,” said Rep. Frankel.

Rep. Frankel fought vigorously against changes to the bill that would have restricted abortion access for women around the world: “Women must have full control over the important personal decision of if, when, and how to become a parent,” said Rep. Frankel.

A staunch pro-Israel advocate, Rep. Frankel also championed continued critical funding for Israel’s security: “Israel remains our closest ally in the middle east,” said Rep. Frankel. “The funding in this bill ensures that Israel is able to defend itself against common threats, continue to help developing nations tackle energy, water, and agricultural challenges, and reinforce the bonds that make both our nations stronger.”

The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill provides $62.24 billion in funding, which is $6.737 billion above 2021, an increase of 12.1 percent. 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:

• Permanently repeals the Global Gag Rule, an anti-abortion policy that prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing abortion information, referrals, or services.
• Removes the Helms Amendment restrictions that have prohibited safe abortion and health care services for people in low-income countries.
• Provides a total of $6.08 billion to fight HIV/AIDS globally.
• Provides $4.56 billion million to improve maternal and child health and fight infectious diseases.
• Provides $760 million for bilateral family planning, including $70 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Gender Equality:

• Provides $150 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 $950 million for basic education, including $125 for the Global Partnership for Education, $25 million for Education Cannot Wait and $150 million for girls’ education in areas of conflict, which is critical to their future economic empowerment and U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Provides $200 million for the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund to advance gender equity and equality globally, focusing on women’s economic empowerment, preventing and responding to gender-based violence, and supporting underserved and marginalized populations.
• Provides $200 million to combat gender-based violence.
• Provides $60 million to protect women and girls in Afghanistan.
• Provides $30 million to address sexual and gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras).
• Provides $20 million for programs combatting child marriage.
• Provides $17 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.

Support for Israel and Combatting Anti-Semitism:

• Fully funds the $3.3 billion commitment for security assistance to Israel.
• Provides $2 million for USAID-Israel development cooperation to address sustainability challenges relating to water resources, agriculture, and energy storage.
• Provides $50 million for the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act.
• Provides $6 million for the Middle East Regional Cooperation Program for collaboration between Israeli and Arab scientists.
• Provides $5 million for refugees from the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and other countries resettling in Israel.
• Provides $1 million to the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.
• Provides $1 million to the Office of Holocaust Issues.
• Reaffirms support for the 2016 United States—Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which demonstrates the unshakable commitment of the United States to the security of Israel and to ensuring that Israel’s qualitative military edge and defense capabilities are maintained.

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.

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