R48231 — Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2025 Budget and Appropriations

Each year, Congress considers 12 distinct appropriations measures to fund federal programs and activities. One of these measures is the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill, which includes funding for U.S. diplomatic activities; cultural exchanges; development, security, and humanitarian assistance; and participation in multilateral organizations, among other international activities. For FY2025, the Biden Administration initially requested $64.03 billion in new budget authority for SFOPS accounts, or $63.04 billion when including proposed rescissions of prior-year funding. Of the proposed funding, $2.82 billion was requested with an emergency designation. On November 18, 2024, as part of a nearly $100 billion request for funds to address Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters, the Administration proposed an additional $310 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission, an SFOPS account. This increased the Biden Administration’s total FY2025 SFOPS request to date to $63.35 billion when factoring in proposed rescissions. The FY2025 base request (not including the emergency-designated funding) represented a 6.7% increase from FY2024-enacted base appropriations (excluding emergency funding). The total request represented a 26.1% decrease from total FY2024-enacted appropriations. The Biden Administration prepared the FY2025 request prior to enactment of final FY2024 appropriations. Consistent with previous budget requests and annual SFOPS appropriations measures, the budget request divided SFOPS into two main components: Department of State and Related Agency. These accounts, which are provided in Title I of the SFOPS bill, primarily support Department of State diplomatic and security activities. The initial FY2025 proposal included $18.47 billion for Title I accounts, representing a 5.9% increase from FY2024-enacted base appropriations and a 4.3% increase from total FY2024-enacted levels. When including the November proposal for emergency funding, the total request for Title I accounts for FY2025 was $18.78 billion, a 6.1% increase from total FY2024-enacted levels. Foreign Operations and Related Programs. These accounts, which are provided in Titles II-VI of the SFOPS bill, fund most foreign assistance activities. The FY2025 request included a total of $45.56 billion for these in accounts, of which $2.82 billion was designated as emergency funding. The base request represented a 3.5% increase when compared with FY2024-enacted base levels; the total request represented a 35.2% decrease when compared with total FY2024-enacted levels. On June 12, 2024, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY2025 SFOPS appropriations bill. The full House amended and approved the measure on June 28, 2024. The bill would have provided a total of $53.10 billion in new budget authority for SFOPS ($52.29 billion after rescissions). Of that total, the bill included $15.14 billion for Department of State and Related Agency accounts and $37.97 billion for Foreign Operations and Related Programs accounts. On July 25, 2024, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY2025 SFOPS appropriations measure, which would have provided $62.35 billion in new budget authority for SFOPS ($62.18 billion after rescissions). Of that total, the bill included $17.60 billion for Department of State and Related Agency accounts and $44.75 billion for Foreign Operations and Related Programs accounts, of which $5.90 billion was designated as emergency funding. On September 26, 2024, P.L. 118-83, a continuing resolution (CR) to fund federal government agencies in FY2025, largely at FY2024 levels, was enacted, extending funding through December 20, 2024. On December 21, the President signed P.L. 118-158; the law included a CR funding federal government agencies in FY2025 through March 14, 2025, and disaster relief including $250 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission, among other matters. On March 15, 2025, President Trump signed into law P.L. 119-4, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025. The measure funds federal government agencies for FY2025, largely at FY2024 levels. For SFOPS and selected other appropriations measures, this is the first full-year CR since FY2013. On July 24, 2025, President Trump signed into law P.L. 119-28, the FY2024 rescissions law. The measure rescinds a total of $7.67 billion in FY2025 SFOPS funding appropriated in P.L. 119-4 across a range of accounts, and an additional $236.3 million in prior year funding. When taking into account the rescissions package, the total SFOPS appropriation for FY2025 represents a 10.8% decrease from FY2024 SFOPS funding provided in P.L. 118-47. When including emergency funding enacted for FY2024 in P.L. 118-50, the FY2025 total enacted level represents a 38.9% decrease from total enacted SFOPS funding for FY2024. Table A-1 provides an account-by-account comparison of the FY2025 request to FY2024- and FY2023-enacted funding levels. Table A-2 offers a similar comparison focused specifically on the International Affairs budget (Function 150). Both appendices will be updated to reflect congressional action. Figure A-1 depicts the International Affairs budget account structure. This report tracks SFOPS budget requests and appropriations, comparing funding levels for accounts and purposes. It does not provide extensive analysis of international affairs policy issues. For in-depth analysis and contextual information on international affairs issues, consult the wide range of CRS reports on specific subjects, such as global health, diplomatic security, and U.S. participation in the United Nations. For more information on SFOPS accounts, see CRS Report R40482, Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts, by Cory R. Gill and Emily M. McCabe.

Curated by CRS — every bill listed in this report's relatedMaterials. Edge type cited_in_report, gold confidence.

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