Yesterday, President Joe Biden released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024. A president’s budget rarely becomes law. Rather, it is a blueprint intended to inform members of Congress as they write the legislation to fund the government for the coming fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.
Nevertheless, it is a helpful window into what the president and his party value and what they will fight for as lawmakers craft their budget and appropriations bills. This will be especially important this year when we expect some of the most contentious and consequential policy decisions emerging from Capitol Hill will center on federal spending.
Here is what we saw in the president’s initial proposal: The plan would invest in many programs we care about. It includes modest but meaningful increases for diplomacy, support for tribal nations, and money to address climate change. It would restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, one of our nation’s most powerful tools for reducing poverty. Disappointingly, it also features large increases in military spending, a substantial number that Congress will exceed. (We will have more analysis next week as our lobbyists dig further into the 182-page budget proposal.)
With this proposal now out, House lawmakers are crafting a bill to establish the overall size of the budget. Their decisions will determine how much money is available for programs millions of people depend on. Many of these smaller, non-defense spending items have a significant impact on our communities and the lives of our neighbors worldwide. We must establish a budget with enough funding to invest meaningfully in critical nutrition, peacebuilding, migration management, community violence intervention, and climate programs—and not just pour more unchecked money into the Pentagon budget.
The federal budget is a moral document that makes clear our priorities as a nation. Where we allocate resources says everything about what and whom we value. Urge Congress to center the needs of our neighbors at home and abroad by advancing a spending framework that makes substantial investments in critical non-military programs.
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Elsewhere
Rep. Omar Elevates the Work of Advocacy Teams
In testimony before the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs’ subcommittee this week, Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) spoke in support of the three peacebuilding accounts that FCNL Advocacy Teams are working to bolster in 2023. This was the result of direct outreach and relationship-building by the Twin Cities Advocacy Team. “I want to urge you all…to significantly raise the budgets for the Complex Crises Fund, the Atrocities Prevention Fund, and the Reconciliation Programs Fund,” Rep. Omar said.
Bill to Repeal Iraq War Authorization Moves Forward
On Wednesday, lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance a bill to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq (2002 Iraq AUMF), paving the way for a potential vote by the full Senate in the coming weeks. FCNL advocates have worked for years to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF, which multiple presidents have used to wage unauthorized acts of war abroad.
Biden Administration Considers Family Detention
News emerged this week that the Biden administration is considering reviving a Trump-era practice of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally. No final decision has been made, but FCNL continues to call on Congress and the Biden administration to reject further reliance on punitive and cruel measures at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Coalition Calls on Biden to Clarify Israeli Ambassador’s Troubling Comments
FCNL led more than 40 national organizations in sending a letter to the president this week expressing concern about recent comments from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides. He said, “Israel can and should do whatever they need to deal with [Iran], and we’ve got their back.” The letter called on President Biden to clarify that the United States does not support Israel starting a war with Iran.
Support for Friends’ Discernment on Abortion
FCNL’s Policy Committee is inviting Friends to listen deeply in their communities around issues of reproductive health care, including abortion. Join us on March 22 to hear perspectives and advice on engaging your Quaker meeting or church in discernment to guide FCNL’s policy going forward.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation is a national, nonpartisan Quaker organization that lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship. This Week in the World. The FCNL weekly newsletter of advocacy actions and updates and opportunities to take action on the issues you care about.