Ranking Member Frankel Statement at the Full Committee Markup of the 2027 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Funding Bill
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Appropriations Committee's markup of the fiscal year 2027 bill:
Thank you, Mr. Chair, it is an honor to serve alongside you as Ranking Member of this subcommittee, and I do appreciate the bipartisan tradition of our work.
Mr. Diaz-Balart. You are my friend, and you are a delight to work with. We actually agree on a great deal. But with that said, we have real differences, which we’ll talk about today. But, I value that we can work through them without acrimony. I hope that is a model for how we can conduct this Congress.
I also want to thank the colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We have a really terrific committee, and I do enjoy working with all of you.
And finally, despite my opposition to this bill, I want to thank our Majority and Minority staff—who, under intense pressure and too many sleepless nights, helped us put this package together.
And now, Mr. Chair, this bill should be our moment to lead.
To live up to the mission of the National Security and State Department subcommittee.
Because real security is not achieved with bombs, bullying, and tariffs—the apparent policy of choice for this Administration.
Real security is built with diplomacy, development, and humanitarian leadership.
That’s how we build alliances. That’s how we grow trading partners. That’s how we stop disease before it comes to our shore. And that’s how we stop extremism. And that’s how we prevent costly wars before they begin.
Done right, this bill will make America safer. But we are not there yet.
And let me just say this, we are marking up this bill without a hearing with the Secretary of State—and without any assurance that funds already approved are being used as intended.
And let’s be honest about the backdrop:
USAID—hollowed out.
Programs—canceled.
Expertise—pushed out the door.
Now, a weakened State Department is expected to carry out the full load—despite the fact that it was never built to do so.
That is not a strategy. That is a setup for failure.
Programs Congress directed and funded—food security, clean water, women’s leadership—are being ignored, with no clear plan for implementation.
The Administration’s cuts to family planning have forced clinics to close, cut off access to contraception, and left millions of women without care. Nearly 1,400 clinics have shut down, and 9 million people have lost access to services. Health care workers are reporting rising cases of hemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortions, and preventable deaths.
And in a stunning example of waste, $8 million worth of contraceptives—already paid for by American taxpayers—were left to expire in a warehouse instead of being delivered to partners ready to distribute them.
And that’s not all.
The Administration is undermining numerous tools of global health leadership.
Despite bipartisan support for the organization, it has failed to release funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—a program that has helped prevent more than 20 million deaths since 2000.
All because of RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
And now, we are seeing coercive, transactional tactics—dangling lifesaving health assistance in exchange for unrelated demands on trade and critical minerals.
We’re also told programs like PEPFAR are “up and running”—but on the ground, lifesaving medications are not reaching the people who need them.
And this comes with a sweeping expansion of the Global Gag Rule, which covers nearly all non-military assistance.
And the consequences of these decisions have been devastating
In just one year, these cuts have led to over 750,000 deaths—88 lives every hour—while malaria surges, HIV treatment is disrupted, and clinics shut down.
And the projections are even worse: up to 22 million preventable deaths by 2030.
And what does all this mean? Listen to this, folks.
We are forcing women and girls into pregnancies they are not ready for and then turning our backs as their children suffer and die from hunger and preventable disease.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Funding meant to protect vulnerable people fleeing conflict is being used to advance a cruel and twisted immigration agenda. After ICE rips people away from their communities, they are being sent to places where they do not speak the language or know the culture.
This is not policy. It is cruelty.
Add it all together, and this bill pulls back American leadership at exactly the wrong moment.
With another $2.7 billion cut this year, we are investing $14 billion less than we were just four years ago.
And these reductions will weaken our diplomats, dismantle development programs, slash humanitarian aid—the lifeline that keeps millions alive—and undermines global health and security efforts that stop threats before they reach our shores.
And at the very same time, the President is requesting hundreds of billions more for war.
Let me be clear: I support a strong military.
But as the mother of a Marine who served in two wars, I know what’s at stake—and like most Americans, we rather prevent war, than have our loved ones fight in one.
That’s why soft power is so essential. Diplomacy stops costly wars before they start. Global health programs stop outbreaks before they spread. Development reduces the desperation that fuels extremism. Alliances ensure we do not face threats alone. That is how you keep America safe.
But this bill abandons that strategy, eliminating funding for the United Nations and UN Peacekeeping. We could go on. $1 billion in humanitarian aid, cutting family planning, eliminating funding for UNFPA. Zeroing out critical institutions like the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Inter-American Foundation, and the U.S. African Development Foundation.
This is not strength. It’s retreat.
And when we retreat, China and other rivals step in. And we should not walk away from our leadership. This bill fails the test. Security at home depends on our leadership abroad. I hope that we will do better as this bill moves along.
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