Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. 8771, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I also want to apologize, because I am getting over this pretty bad cold, and so I hope my voice will stand up for the hours that we have here on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to speak on the fiscal year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill for floor consideration here today.

The bill totals $51.7 billion, which is a cut, a reduction, of $7.6 billion from the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. That is 11 percent less than enacted and nearly 20 percent below the President's budget request.

This allocation and the policies within the bill will allow us to build on important changes that House Republicans fought hard to secure in the fiscal year 2024 bill signed into law only a few months ago.

You are probably going to hear it now. There are some who will say that cuts of this magnitude jeopardize the United States' leadership in the world, that we are abandoning our leadership, and that the world will be less safe.

Let me be very clear. I completely disagree. In fact, it is just the opposite.

The priorities in this bill are crystal clear. If you are a friend or an ally of the United States, this bill supports you. If you are an adversary or are cozying up to our adversaries, then frankly, no, you are not going to like this bill.

The bill eliminates controversial or ineffective programs that, frankly, American taxpayers do not support and that, frankly, again, even our allies and partners don't support either.

This is key: Even with the deep cuts to the top-line spending, this bill fully funds our ally Israel and increases funding over the President's request to counter Communist China and to combat the flow of fentanyl into our country, again while spending less money overall.

Let me tell you what this bill does not do, what this bill does not fund, Mr. Chairman. Despite the Biden administration's request, this bill will not fund organizations that employ terrorists, like UNRWA. It does not fund organizations that provide a platform on the global stage for the worst human rights abusers, like the Human Rights Council, or that take bogus legal action against Israel, as it fights for its very existence, like the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

No, this bill does not fund organizations that cower to Communist China and deny Taiwan even observer status, like the World Health Organization. This bill also does not pay for other countries' climate reparations, like the Loss and Damages Fund.

This bill certainly does not permit funds to promote and mobilize illegal migration to the United States' southern border through organizations exploiting this administration's dangerous open-border policies.

Yes, this bill stops funding to all of those organizations and programs for the reasons that I mentioned, not just because they are a waste of money, which would be reason enough, but because those organizations are actually working against our interests and those of our allies while utilizing American taxpayer money to do so.

I will take a moment to address how this bill treats, for example, the United Nations. This bill acknowledges the mockery that is the U.N., unfortunately, and zeros out the U.N. regular budget. The U.N. does not deserve one more dime of taxpayer money. It just doesn't.

The hypocrisy and the moral decay at the U.N. has only gotten worse and is rearing its ugly head time and time again with repeated, brazen, anti-Semitic attacks against Israel.

That is why this bill builds on, frankly, key wins from fiscal year 2024 and adds new conditions on anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias throughout the United Nations and other international organizations. This should be no surprise. Actions have consequences. At least they should. The U.N. will feel the consequences of their actions in this bill.

This legislation makes confronting the national security threat posed by the Communist Chinese Party a top priority. It provides $2.1 billion to counter the malign influence of the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China. Note this: That is above the President's request despite spending less money overall.

It also provides $500 million for foreign military financing for Taiwan's security needs and prioritizes funding for other critical partners in the Indo-Pacific, including the Philippines and the Pacific Island countries.

I would like to now turn to our hemisphere, which is another top priority in this bill, which impacts all Americans. This bill includes funding to combat the trafficking of opiates, and in particular fentanyl, which is killing so many young Americans. This bill also holds accountable governments failing to cooperate on countering narcotics and other issues of critical importance to the United States and the American people.

Let me give you this example. No funds in this bill can go to Mexico until a certification is made that an agreement is in place to restore water deliveries owed to the United States from Mexico.

The bill increases support for freedom and democracy for the people of Cuba, in this hemisphere, by providing $35 million for democracy funding and $35 million for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. It also reins in attempts by the Biden administration to promote the so-called entrepreneurs in Cuba's closed, communist economy.

Let's be very clear. The only truly independent entrepreneurs in Cuba are in prison. While the Cuban people are risking their lives to demand true freedom and hitting the streets to demand true freedom, unfortunately, the Biden administration is attempting to throw their oppressors a lifeline with unilateral sanction relief. That is why the language is even further tightened this year.

Finally, this bill includes all longstanding pro-life protections, including a prohibition on all taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortion. It builds on those requirements by applying the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy to all global health funding.

You see, Mr. Chairman, it promotes American values by continuing important funding for democracy, increasing funding for religious freedom programs abroad, supporting faith-based organizations that are helping to deliver the United States foreign assistance, and eliminating programs that use taxpayer dollars for, frankly, controversial or ineffective agendas.

Now, before I close, Mr. Chairman, if I may, I thank the amazing staff from the Appropriations Committee for their work on the bill. Also, I thank my personal office staff who have worked amazingly hard with very little time, as you know, on this important bill.

Again, Mr. Chairman, I thank you for bringing this legislation to the floor. I am actually thanking the Speaker of the House for bringing this legislation to the floor which supports our allies. It protects our national security in a smart, efficient, and thoughtful way.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART.
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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, this bill does more for our national security and our allies with less taxpayer money. That is precisely how government is supposed to work. You do more and better with less money. That is how government is supposed to work.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this good bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 1316, I offer amendments en bloc.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bipartisan en bloc amendment, which represents amendments with support from both sides of the aisle.

The amendment includes 32 noncontroversial amendments that advance the priorities of both sides, including support for Taiwan, training for security partners in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting the vital work of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and improving passport processing.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, we use the term ``my friend'' all the time here, but I will tell you that the gentleman from Arizona and I are friends. I have great respect for him, but I do have to claim the time in opposition.

Congress recently provided $1.6 billion in foreign military financing for Ukraine--not in this bill; that was already done--and other countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine.

While foreign military financing funds in this bill are not designated for Ukraine--there aren't any--let me tell you why I still respectfully have to stand in opposition.

I think this sends a pretty bad message during a time of active war. I think it would be a monumental mistake, potentially emboldening our enemies, including Russia, and send a dangerous signal of United States' weakness, something that, unfortunately, this administration does every single day, and a lack of resolve to others around the world, including potentially Communist China and other adversaries.

I will also note that House Republicans successfully secured language in the fiscal year 2024 State and Foreign Operations bill that brings unprecedented transparency and oversight requirements on all assistance going to Ukraine, which I think is a very important thing to do, and I think all of us agree with that.

I want to repeat: There are no FMF funds in this bill for Ukraine. The only FMF we have in this bill goes to other key partners, and I mentioned that, like Taiwan.

I think that a prohibition potentially sends a very bad message. There are no funds, but I think this would send a very bad message.

I have great respect for somebody who actually is a friend of mine. We are good friends, but I respectfully have to oppose this amendment.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for bringing this important amendment to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, the CCP's influence at the FAO is real. It is dramatic, and it is real, as the gentlewoman mentioned in her opening statement. I think she did a great job explaining it.

If there is a change in leadership in that organization, maybe we can start supporting this organization, but there have to be consequences.

Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to my colleague for bringing this important amendment. I strongly support it.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Carter of Georgia) having assumed the chair, Mr. Obernolte, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 8771) making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

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