Emergency Crises Fund: Letter to House Appropriators

Sep 29, 2009

Include $100 million Emergency Crises Fund in final Foreign Operations Appropriations bill




September 25, 2009


Representative Nita Lowey

Representative Kay Granger

State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee

Appropriations Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515




Dear Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger:



Thank you for your work to build more effective civilian tools to help prevent deadly conflict and protect civilians. As you know, U.S. civilian agencies have been severely underfunded over recent decades and remain ill-equipped to effectively respond to crises. Of particular concern is the lack of flexible funding available to the State Department and USAID to respond quickly to emerging or escalating conflicts.



Your efforts to help build new capacities in the State Department and USAID to address this problem are greatly appreciated. We are heartened to see both the House and Senate taking steps through the FY 2010 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to provide more flexible funding to civilian agencies to better prevent and respond to crises.



Toward that end, we believe the Senate's proposed $100 million Emergency Crises Fund offers the most promise for more effective, coordinated civilian leadership in crisis prevention and response. While we very much appreciate the House bill's inclusion of a new Rapid Response Fund for USAID, as requested by the President, we believe that the Senate's proposal for a larger fund will both maximize the resources available to State and USAID and encourage greater coordination across the U.S. government as it responds to crises. Including additional language in the final bill to ensure USAID shares in the decision-making and benefits from the fund would also strengthen the proposal.



Since at least 1994 USAID has built up expertise and a track record of success working in countries on the brink of or emerging out of violent conflict. At the same time, the State Department has become increasingly operational in fields related to conflict prevention, stabilization, and post-conflict recovery. Both agencies have distinct roles and expertise to bring to a stabilization effort. We believe the Senate proposal has the best potential to ensure that development experts have a seat at the policymaking table and that State and USAID work together.



We urge you to include the Senate's $100 million Emergency Crises Fund in the final version of the FY 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, and to help ensure both State and USAID benefit from it. Again, thank you for your leadership on these issues.



Sincerely,



3D Security Initiative

Alliance for Peacebuilding

American Friends Service Committee

Citizens for Global Solutions

Enough Project

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Genocide Intervention Network

Human Rights First

International Rescue Committee

Oxfam America

Mennonite Central Committee U.S Washington Office

Refugees International

Save Darfur Coalition