Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Priorities

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is a national, nonpartisan Quaker organization that lobbies Congress for peace, justice, and environmental stewardship. In fiscal year 2026 (FY26), to reduce human suffering and strengthen security at home and abroad, FCNL recommends Congress robustly fund peacebuilding, atrocity prevention, and humanitarian response accounts; invest in operations, resources, and care for populations facing forced migration; strengthen global resilience to climate change; honor its treaty and trust responsibilities to Indian tribes; and support community violence intervention programming.  

Violence, climate shocks and forced migration are some of the most significant challenges faced by the United States – and they cannot be addressed through arbitrary spending cuts, program closures or the dismantling of critical agencies. The programs and accounts outlined below are cost-effective, proven approaches that Congress has supported in a bipartisan matter to confront these modern challenges. 

For example, investing in peacebuilding and conflict prevention not only eases suffering caused by war and violence but also supports long-term stability, mitigating future need for high-cost, reactive emergency spending. The cost effectiveness of peacebuilding is exceptional – every dollar invested in preventing violent conflict saves $26-$103 on the cost of conflict. Additionally, as the rate and scale of climate-related disasters increases – from extreme weather events to rising sea levels – U.S. investment in climate resilience is essential to prevent instability and humanitarian crises. Research shows that every dollar spent on resilience and disaster preparedness saves three dollars in future humanitarian assistance.  

However, none of this work can be done without the support of federal agencies tasked with their implementation. Alongside support to these appropriations, Congress must push back on the dismantling and indefinite suspension of agencies and programs, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and the closing of offices and programs, including those at the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, that provide critical leadership and oversight to these appropriations. 

As Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated, “Faced with historic deficits and a dangerous national debt, there has been increasing talk of reducing our foreign aid budget. But we need to remember that these international coalitions that we have the opportunity to lead are not just military ones, they can also be humanitarian ones. In every region of the world, we should always search for ways to use U.S. aid and humanitarian assistance to strengthen our influence, the effectiveness of our leadership, and the service of our interests and ideals. When done so effectively, […] foreign aid is a very cost-effective way not only to export our values and our example, but to advance our security and economic interests.” 

Collectively, these priorities would move U.S. policy onto a course that alleviates human suffering while strengthening our nation’s global leadership and security. Equally, our priorities note domestic programs that ensure prosperity, wellbeing, and safety for Americans. 

We encourage Congress to ensure FY26 funds are used as Congress directs, without risk of unauthorized transfers or reprogramming. Specifically, FCNL urges support for the following programs: 

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 

• Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVI), which funds vital programs, including violence interrupters, across the nation to prevent violence. Violence interrupters mitigate community violence and stop violence before it occurs, reducing costly and dangerous police investigations and saving lives. We urge not less than $200 million for the CVI program.  

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025  

• Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which supports local governments, faith organizations, and nonprofits providing short-term shelter, services, and transportation to asylum seekers released by the Department of Homeland Security at the southwest border. This funding is central to orderly migration management that efficiently, safely, and humanely reduces Customs and Border Protection’s operational burdens and prevents uncoordinated, unsheltered street releases of individuals with a credible fear of persecution. We urge not less than $650 million for SSP. 
• Alternatives to Detention Case Management Program, which enables community-based programming for people in removal proceedings, as opposed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) surveillance-oriented alternatives to detention programs. The U.S. government should prioritize proven community-based case management programs that reduce costs for the nation while ensuring a more than 99% compliance rate with court and enforcement orders. We urge not less than $15 million for Alternatives to Detention Case Management Program. 
  In tandem, we urge not exceeding FY24 levels of daily single adult beds in ICE detention under Enforcement and Removal Operations, a system with a persistent record of human rights abuses, including use of force, solitary confinement, sexual abuse, and forced sterilization. Congress should not fund family detention.  

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026  

• Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA), administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which provides critical support for unaccompanied children and their families as well as refugees. This support includes legal services, post-release services and home studies, and mental health care to ensure every child’s safety and wellbeing. We urge not less than $6.32213 billion for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance (REA) program.   

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 

• Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), which provides education for thousands of Native children and secondary education students across the U.S. BIE schools are underfunded and under-resourced. Some schools have inadequate heating and cooling, others have not been updated in decades. Native students deserve to learn in safe, healthy environments. We urge not less than $310 million for BIE Construction.   
• Public Safety and Justice Funding, which supports the Bureau of Indian Affairs responsibility for law enforcement services in many tribal nations. A 2018 report found that current law enforcement needs on reservations are funded at less than 18% of estimated need. The situation has not improved much since then, and tribal nations remain some of the most underserved communities in the country. We urge Congress to uphold its treaty and trust responsibility to tribal nations, and funding tribal law enforcement and courts at not less than $2 billion.   

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

• The Complex Crises Fund, which has enabled USAID to respond to early warning signs and escalating conflicts with the aim of preventing mass violence. It is the only account of its kind and is used to quickly fill immediate, short-term funding gaps during emergent crises. We urge not less than $75 million for the Complex Crises Fund. 
• Reconciliation Programs, which has enabled the Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention at USAID to conduct people-to-people reconciliation programs that advance mutual understanding and conflict transformation efforts between different ethnic, racial, religious, or political groups in areas of civil trouble and war. We urge not less than $50 million for Reconciliation Programs. 
• Atrocities Prevention, which enables the Department of State to implement the 2022 U.S. Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities, the recommendations of the inter-agency Atrocity Prevention Task Force, and other programs aimed at preventing mass atrocities and genocide. We urge the restoration of Atrocities Prevention in the bill text rather than report language. We urge not less than $25 million for Atrocities Prevention. 
  In tandem, we urge allocating the State Department not less than $500,000 to conduct Atrocities Prevention Training as mandated by the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (P.L. 115-441). 
• International Disaster Assistance (IDA), which has enabled USAID to respond to humanitarian crises. An estimated 68.3 million people are facing internal displacement and 305 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2025. IDA will help to alleviate the impact of crises and prevent internal displacement. We urge not less than $4.77 billion for IDA. 
• Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA), which enables the United States to respond to sudden humanitarian needs. ERMA has historically been underfunded. Instead of relying on supplemental funds to source the account, Congress should appropriately fund it to promote regional stability across the globe. We urge not less than $100,000 for ERMA. 
• Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), which supports the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to assist families seeking refuge from life-threatening situations. MRA facilitates refugee admission and resettlement in the United States, voluntary, safe, and legal return to home countries, integration into a host country, and third-country resettlement. There are more than 37.9 million refugees globally with more than 2.9 million needing resettlement in 2025. As conflict worldwide continues to rapidly escalate, funding must be sustained for MRA. As Congress has adopted modest baseline funding for ERMA, it’s essential that MRA receive a sustainable and proactive level of funding. We urge not less than $3.92 billion for MRA. 
• Renewable Energy, which supports energy projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas pollution from energy generation and use in developing countries. Renewable Energy accelerates the deployment of clean energy technologies, policies, and practices. We urge not less than $260 million for Renewable Energy. 
• Sustainable Landscapes, which sustainably manages, protects, and restores forests and other natural landscapes. Protecting natural environments is key to reducing greenhouse gas pollution from further deforestation and land degradation. We urge not less than $185 million for Sustainable Landscapes. 
• Adaptation, which assists developing countries with reducing their vulnerability to climate change impacts like hunger, intensified conflict, forced migration, and increased poverty. USAID’s Adaptation fund has assisted communities by building resilience to the climate crisis. We urge not less than $270 million for Adaptation.  
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides critically needed food assistance, medical services, and educational infrastructure for vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria amid rising humanitarian demands throughout. Their work remains critical and lifesaving as they persist in delivering vital services despite regional and global complications. We urge that any limitations on funding be removed and not less than $344 million in funding be allocated to UNRWA. 
• Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) programs, which have been implemented through USAID and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), to promote economic cooperation, people-to-people peacebuilding programs, and advance shared community building, peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. We urge not less than $100 million in funding to MEPPA.