With Key Frankel Provisions Included, State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Heads to House Floor for Final Passage

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after helping pass the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies funding bill for Fiscal Year 2023 out of the Appropriations Committee. The bill recognizes the importance of US assistance and cooperation with partners around the world. Of special interest, it includes critical investments in the empowerment of women and girls around the world and supports America’s friend and ally, Israel.

“What happens overseas has real impacts on our national security, public health, and economy,” said Rep. Frankel. “I’m particularly proud that this bill includes critical investments for the empowerment of women and girls around the world, because when girls and women have access to health care, are educated, free from violence, and are given economic opportunities, their families, their communities, and the world are safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous.

“Importantly, this funding bill is unabashedly pro-Israel. It provides funding needed to help keep our only democratic ally in an unstable region secure, recognizing that Israel’s security is our security.”

Below are some issues of this Appropriations subcommittee of special interest to Rep. Frankel:

Support for Israel and Combatting Anti-Semitism:

• Fully funds the $3.3 billion commitment for security assistance to Israel,
• $2 million for USAID-Israel development cooperation to address sustainability challenges relating to water resources, agriculture, and energy storage,
• $50 million for the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act,
• $8 million for the Middle East Regional Cooperation Program for collaboration between Israeli and Arab scientists,
• $5 million for refugee resettlement in Israel,
• $1.5 million to the Office to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism ($500,000 increase),
• $1.5 million to the U.S. State Department's Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues ($500,000 increase),
• 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.

Global Women’s Health:

• Excludes the Helms Amendment restriction that has prohibited safe abortion and health care services for poor and vulnerable people in low-income countries,
• Includes the text of the Global Health Empowerment and Rights (Global HER) Act to permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule, an anti-abortion policy, on non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. assistance,
• $6.7 billion to fight HIV/AIDS globally,
• $4.6 billion for programs to improve maternal and child health and fight infectious diseases ($701.5 million increase),
• $760 million for bilateral family planning, including $70 million for the United Nations Population Fund ($37.5 million increase).

Gender Equality:

• $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. ($15 million increase),
• $985 million for global basic education, including $140 million for the Global Partnership for Education and $35 million for Education Cannot Wait ($35 million increase),
• $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,
• $250 million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence,
• A minimum of $75 million for programs to address violence against women and girls in Central America,
• $35 million each for the Office of Global Women's Issues to empower women and girls around the world through U.S. foreign policy ($20 million increase),
• $12 million for UN Women and $1.5 million for the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.

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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