Republican State and Foreign Operations Bill Puts Americans at Risk, Abdicates U.S. Leadership

Republican 2026 Funding Bill is an Unprecedented Pullback from International Engagement  

WASHINGTON — During today’s House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of the 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill, Democrats emphasized that Republicans’ extreme funding bill weakens our national security and puts the American people and public health preparedness at risk.

House Republicans are proposing a 22 percent cut below 2025 to the bill’s overall funding level.

This bill:

• Threatens national security by abdicating United States world leadership at the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral and international financial institutions by not including any funding for the UN Regular budget, the UN Development Program, UN Women, and UNICEF.
• Threatens women’s health globally by prohibiting the United States from contributing to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), substantially underfunding bilateral family planning, and reinstating the expanded Global Gag Rule on non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. assistance.
• Hampers the United States’ response to the climate crisis by eliminating support for communities’ ability to adapt to weather changes, sustainably manage their land and natural resources, and expand access to clean energy.
• Reinforces President Trump’s gutting of development and humanitarian programs by underfunding the operations and staffing of the State Department and completing the demise of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as other tools of America’s soft power and global leadership. 

From State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Ranking Member Lois Frankel’s (D-FL-22) opening remarks:

“Let’s call this what it is: a blueprint for American retreat…We are in the midst of a global convergence of crises—armed conflict, political repression, climate disasters, famine, and global health threats. These aren’t distant problems. They impact our security, economy, and public health. When fragile states collapse, we see mass migration and regional instability. When contracts are cancelled, markets break down, and American farmers and manufacturers lose customers. When global health systems fail, pandemics reach our shores. Failing to build resilience to extreme weather means losing homes, livelihoods, and lives. And when the U.S. pulls back, authoritarian regimes like China and Russia move in to fill the void—often in ways that undermine our national interests. This bill is a missed opportunity to reaffirm American values and assert Congressional authority. A sustained path to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous nation cannot be built on isolation and threats.”

From Appropriations Committee Ranking Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT-03) opening remarks:

“President Trump is aggressively pursuing an America-last agenda that will not only see America become weaker, more isolated, and more ostracized – it is actively devastating impoverished regions and causing tragic, preventable death around the world...Just last week, the purges of our diplomatic corps continued at the Department of State, where career, nonpartisan staff who dedicated their lives to advancing American interests and who hold a wealth of irreplaceable knowledge and relationships, were fired. If you were China or Russia and you wanted to weaken America, what would you do differently? This self-destruction is unexplainable, unfathomable, and unforgivable...Snubbing our allies and turning our backs on the world does not make us strong. It makes us weak. It makes us an unreliable ally and an untrustworthy partner. Unfortunately, this bill doubles down on this America-last agenda.”

A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here.

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