EMAIL DETAILS

I know it's the end of the summer, but I need to update you on a
very troubling issue picking up steam in Washington.

In a procedural move that's never been attempted before, the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is expected to announce a new
round of billions of dollars of dangerous cuts to the State Department
and USAID - just days before the end of the fiscal year.

This will not only be the fourth time in 18 months that international
affairs programs will be disproportionately targeted, but in this
proposal - known as a "rescission package" -
America's civilian tools will be the target.

Already a growing list of Republican and Democratic lawmakers -
including Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders - are
pushing back, raising red flags on overreach by the executive branch
and the risks of American retreat from the world.

All the details are below in the latest edition of the GLOBAL GAB.

Best,

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB: New cuts for State Dept? Senate leaders mobilize
August 22, 2018


RISKY RESCISSIONS. According to the Washington Post, OMB is planning
to push out a "rescissions package" next week to freeze
and ultimately expire several billion dollars of foreign assistance
funding for critical overseas programs. Within the entire federal
government, the

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=roH_Cj9Z0EuKcFh8yAgyiw

State Department and USAID will be the cornerstone of the cuts -
making this package the most pointed to date directed at
America's international programs compared to past actions from
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney.

ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS. The exact details of which programs OMB is
targeting have not been released yet, but rescissions are expected to
programs that directly advance America's security and economic
interests - and are likely to include:

* Development assistance programs supporting children like those
operated by UNICEF
* Security programs, potentially including military assistance to
partners and programs helping fight the opioid crisis
* Peacekeeping and other UN programs, which could directly impact
America's reform agenda at the UN

SENATORS SPEAK OUT. Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker
has called OMB's rescissions plan a "breach of
trust" with Congress and said "we certainly look forward
to seeing how to counter that." Ranking Member Bob Menendez has
questioned the legality of OMB's actions, saying "that will have
consequences."

VEEP LUNCH. At a closed-door lunch between Vice President Mike Pence
and Republican senators yesterday, POLITICO reported that multiple
lawmakers voiced opposition directly to the VP on the rescission plan.
And we know that Senator Lindsey Graham and Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell are involved in the discussions with the Administration.

BICAMERAL CHORUS. Joining the growing number of legislators who are
tackling this rescissions package before it's even released was
Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby who added "This is
probably not, in my judgment, a good time to deal with it, because
we're trying, in a bipartisan way, to do something that hasn't been
done in 25 years - to make the Senate work, not to divide
it." In the other Chamber, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed
Royce has been leading the charge.

PURE POLITICS. While being branded as a plan to help balance the
budget, the yet-to-be announced cuts will amount to no more than 0.07%
of the federal budget - and are seen widely on Capitol Hill as a
purely political move to draw down resources for overseas programs in
the days leading up to the mid-term election.

SECRETARY SWAGGER. During the confirmation hearing earlier this year
for Secretary Mike Pompeo, he told senators he would fight for
resources when he believes they are needed - just as he did at
the CIA - and he is reportedly working behind the scenes to
protect his Department's budget, along with fellow cabinet
member USUN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

45 DAYS. OMB's move to push rescissions this late in the year
would send Washington into unprecedented and uncharted territory by
freezing unobligated resources just before the end of the fiscal year
on September 30th.

* Why it matters: Normally, Congress would have 45 days to
consider a rescission package from the Office of Management and
Budget - but since the package could get released in this
narrow window ahead of the end of the fiscal year, it would mean
the funds would simply expire - without Congress having
actually approved or rejected the proposed cuts.

IN OTHER NEWS:

* USGLC ON THE ROAD. Our team has been on the road throughout the
August recess including local events in Erie, PA with Rep. Mike
Kelly; Gainesville, FL with Rep. Ted Yoho; and later this week,
we're off to Salt Lake City, UT with Senator Mike Lee and USAID
Administrator Mark Green. Here are a couple news clips from
Erie, PA!

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=-yyCt-dIZa2NsPuKnuTbfQ

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=8v5nXm4ah9s2ypmiK_BTGA

* SYRIA STABILIZATION. And from overseas, the Administration just
announced that it was no longer planning to spend $230 million
on stabilization programs in Syria - including efforts to
fix water systems and clear IEDs - to help hundreds of
thousands of Syrians return home. While they say they have
raised $300 million from the region, expect Capitol Hill to
raise concerns.

* RUSSIA HACKING HITS DEMOCRACY GROUP. The International
Republican Institute (IRI) - a longtime USGLC member
- was just identified by Microsoft as a conservative group
targeted by the Kremlin. IRI chief Daniel Twining, said the
effort was "clearly designed to sow confusion, conflict
and fear."


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