South OC Times

Washington – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today highlighted several priorities included in the committee-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.

Rep. Issa’s proposals focus on countering China, addressing inefficiencies in government services, and enhancing oversight of executive branch spending.

“President Biden has lit the world on fire, made our homeland less safe, and diminished America on the world stage. This year’s State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill is a serious and detailed effort that outlines crucial steps toward reasserting American leadership,” said Rep. Issa. “Chairman Diaz-Balart listened to all sides of the Conference and developed a conservative foreign policy architecture for the House.”

Rep. Issa’s priorities included in the appropriations bill are:

- Increasing Foreign Military Financing funding for treaty ally, the Philippines, from $40 million to $100 million to help defend against China.

- Continuing to block funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

- Defunding the Global Engagement Center (GEC) when its authorization expires at the end of the year.

- Enhancing vetting for USAID subgrantees, several of which were discovered to have ties to terrorism.

- Report language addressing backlogged visa wait times and passport processing.

On June 12, the House Appropriations Committee passed H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025 by a vote of 31-26.

The text of the bill can be found on the Appropriations Committee website here and the text of the Committee Report to accompany the bill can be found here.