House Passes Defense, State, Homeland Security Spending Bills

The House passed on June 28 bills to fund the Department of Defense, State Department, and Department of Homeland Security—despite opposition from the White House.

The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which passed 212–200, totals $51.71 billion, or $7.6 billion less than that allocated for the 2024 fiscal year.

It is also 19 percent, or $12.26 billion, less than President Joe Biden requested for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1.

The bill specifically allocates $14.6 billion for the Department of State and several related agencies and commissions, and $1.56 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

That is $476 million below what was allocated for the previous year and $661 million less than the administration requested.

The bill includes $3.3 billion in military financing for Israel.

It prohibits funding for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), both of which have been criticized for being hostile toward Israel.

The ICC recently announced it would seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in addition to Hamas leaders Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar.

The appropriations bill also prohibits funding for the U.N. Commission of Inquiry against Israel.

Relatedly, the legislation blocks assistance to the Maldives over its prohibition of Israelis visiting the Indian Ocean island nation.

The bill has measures to combat China’s communist regime, such as allocating $2.1 billion to Indo-Pacific initiatives, which includes $500 million in military financing for Taiwan.

It also bans funding for China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Additionally, the legislation cuts all U.S. funding for the United Nations’ general budget, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the U.N. Environment Fund, U.N. Women, and the U.N. Montreal Protocol.

The bill also terminates financial support for the World Economic Forum and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It does not allow funding for the World Health Organization, the U.N. Population Fund, and the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund.

The United States is the largest donor to the United Nations and in 2022 gave the organization more than $18 billion.

Moreover, the bill prohibits funding for the U.S.-built pier outside of Gaza that has been used to get humanitarian aid into the Hamas-controlled territory.

The pier has experienced structural troubles, requiring it to be temporarily out of service on several occasions.

In addition, the bill eliminates 33 State Department special envoy and special representative roles—including the special envoy to advance the human rights of LGBT people—special representative for Palestinian affairs, special envoy for racial equity and justice, special envoy for international labor affairs, and special presidential envoy for climate.

Most special envoy and special representative positions do not have the rank of ambassador and, therefore, do not require Senate confirmation.

The White House has spoken in opposition to the bills.

“Rather than respecting their agreement and taking the opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process to build on last year’s bills, House Republicans are again wasting time with partisan bills that would result in deep cuts to law enforcement, education, housing, healthcare, consumer safety, energy programs that lower utility bills and combat climate change, and essential nutrition services,” the White House said in a statement.

Defense Appropriations

The Defense Appropriations Bill, which passed 217–198, consists of $833 billion in spending—1 percent, or $8.57 billion, more than allocated for the 2024 fiscal year.

It includes $500 million for Israel’s missile systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems amid the Israel–Hamas conflict.

It forbids the administration from withholding military aid to Israel—a measure in response to President Biden putting a hold on a munitions shipment to the Jewish state over Washington’s objections to a full-scale Israeli military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Rafah is believed to be the last remaining Hamas stronghold.

As with the State Appropriations Bill, this also blocks funding to UNRWA.

The bill includes provisions to eliminate positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the teaching of critical race theory, and climate-related regulations and executive orders.

It also does not allow the Defense Department to contract with NewsGuard, which has come under fire for targeting certain media outlets.

Moreover, it prohibits Defense Department employees and their dependents from using federal funds to obtain an abortion.

From the 2024 fiscal year, the bill has a $1.8 billion increase in National Guard military personnel; a $7.1 billion increase in operation and maintenance support; a $6.7 billion decrease in procurement spending; a $2.4 billion decrease in research, development, test, and evaluation; and a $374.7 million decrease in other defense programs.

Homeland Security

The Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which passed 212–203, consists of $64.8 billion, including $22.7 billion for major disaster response and recovery projects.

It includes $600 million to build the southern border wall, funding for 22,000 Border Patrol agents, and $300 million for border security technology.

Additionally, the bill consists of $4.1 billion for custody operations, which includes funding 50,000 detention beds and $822 million for removing illegal immigrants.

It also looks to counter China by allocating millions of dollars toward maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific.

The bill allocates $18.26 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is $1.36 billion more than the 2024 fiscal year level.