Key Takeaways
- •Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R, FL-26) opened the FY 2027 appropriations process by highlighting a record 16 percent spending reduction achieved in the previous year’s national security funding bill.
- •Harriet Hageman (Member of Congress) urged the subcommittee to prohibit funding for United Nations specialized agencies led by Chinese Communist Party-affiliated individuals to counter Beijing’s growing multilateral influence.
- •Rep. Lois Frankel (D, FL-22) and Melanie Stansbury (Member of Congress) discussed the "irreparable harm" caused by dismantling USAID programs, which Stansbury claimed occurred without testimony from administration officials.
- •Republicans prioritized fiscal accountability and countering Chinese influence, while Democrats criticized the administration for gutting humanitarian programs and withdrawing from international commitments like PEPFAR and UNRWA.
- •The subcommittee will integrate these member priorities into the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill, balancing demands for further spending cuts against calls to restore global development infrastructure.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
This hearing served as a forum for members of Congress to present their funding priorities and policy recommendations for the fiscal year 2027 appropriations cycle. The session highlighted a sharp divide in perspectives regarding the role of international assistance: Republican members emphasized fiscal restraint, accountability, and countering the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within multilateral organizations, while Democratic members focused on the humanitarian and strategic consequences of recent cuts to development programs and diplomatic initiatives. The testimony underscored the ongoing debate over how the United States should project power and values abroad through the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Key Testimony & Policy
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R, WY-AL) focused her testimony on the "multilateral influence operation" conducted by the CCP within United Nations (UN) specialized agencies. She argued that the CCP is systematically targeting leadership positions and stacking the rank-and-file of these agencies with party-affiliated individuals to undermine U.S. interests. Rep. Hageman specifically cited the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under Director-General Qu Dongyu and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under former Secretary General Fang Liu as examples of agencies where CCP leadership has allegedly mismanaged global crises or advanced Beijing’s territorial claims. To counter this, she urged the subcommittee to prohibit funding for UN agencies led by CCP-affiliated individuals and praised the fiscal year 2026 allocation of $5 million for the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) program and $750,000 to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. citizens for UN leadership roles.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D, IL-1) offered a moral and strategic defense of foreign assistance, criticizing recent spending reductions as a "retreat from responsibility." He specifically highlighted the importance of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Rep. Jackson argued that cutting these programs breaks international promises and isolates the United States at a time of global instability. He characterized foreign aid not as charity, but as a strategic investment that prevents conflict and strengthens domestic security by building global stability.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D, NM-1) provided testimony centered on the humanitarian impacts of USAID cuts and the costs of military engagement. She claimed that an "unauthorized war in Iran" was costing the U.S. over $1 billion per day and fueling a regional crisis. Rep. Stansbury called for the full restoration of USAID funding, reinvestment in international peacebuilding, and the resumption of aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to address starvation in Gaza. She also advocated for increased oversight regarding U.S. military and diplomatic actions in Venezuela and Cuba, arguing that the current "blockade" policies are causing widespread suffering.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
The hearing maintained a professional and bipartisan tone between Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart (R, FL-26) and Ranking Member Lois Frankel (D, FL-22), despite their fundamental disagreements on funding levels. Chairman Diaz-Balart touted the fiscal year 2026 bill’s 16 percent reduction in spending as a victory for taxpayer efficiency, while Ranking Member Frankel described the same period as a "year of crises" caused by the "haphazard" dismantling of USAID by the Trump administration.
A significant point of agreement emerged regarding the need to increase U.S. personnel presence within international organizations. Ranking Member Frankel noted that Ambassador Michael Waltz had recently testified about the need for more funding for the JPO program to counter Chinese "infiltration" of the UN's junior ranks. Rep. Hageman and the Chairman both signaled strong support for this specific initiative. Conversely, Rep. Stansbury’s testimony regarding the "war in Iran" and the "blockade" of Cuba highlighted deeper ideological rifts concerning the administration's use of military force and economic sanctions.
Organizations Mentioned
* **United Nations (UN):** Discussed as a primary venue for global influence, with witnesses debating whether to increase U.S. leadership within the system or restrict funding to agencies led by adversaries. * **United States Agency for International Development (USAID):** Criticized by Democratic members for being "dismantled" and "gutted," while the Chairman emphasized the need for its programs to be more efficient and accountable. * **Chinese Communist Party (CCP):** Identified by Rep. Hageman and the Chairman as a primary adversary seeking to subvert international norms through the leadership of UN specialized agencies. * **Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):** Cited by Rep. Hageman as an example of an agency under CCP leadership that failed to respond effectively to global food shortages following the invasion of Ukraine. * **United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):** Mentioned by Rep. Stansbury, who called for the restoration of its funding to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. * **The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria:** Praised by Rep. Jackson as a vital program for global health that should be protected from budget cuts. * **Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE):** Mentioned by Ranking Member Frankel as an entity that has threatened the stability of agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. * **International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):** Highlighted by Rep. Hageman for allegedly violating procedures to favor Chinese flight routes and concealing cybersecurity breaches.
What's Next
The subcommittee will use the testimony provided during Member Day to inform the drafting of the fiscal year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill. Chairman Diaz-Balart indicated that the committee would remain focused on accountability and reform, particularly regarding the role of the CCP in international institutions. Future actions are expected to include further coordination with the House Select Committee on the CCP and continued oversight of the State Department’s strategy for upcoming UN elections.
Transcript
Committee will come to order. Good morning, I want to welcome everyone to the subcommittee's fiscal year 2027 Member Day hearing. Member requests are the core of the appropriations process. Under the leadership of full committee Chairman Tom Cole and with the hard work of members of the Appropriations Committee and our colleagues in the House, in fiscal year 2026, we started, frankly, finally to return to regular order. We enacted 11 of the 12 full-year appropriation bills, including our National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs bill. Moreover, I am extremely proud that our bill was actually a 16 percent reduction in spending from the previous year, the largest spending reduction of any of the appropriation bills. And again, it as, as you know, all the appropriation bills, they have to be negotiated in a bipartisan way, and this one was done so as well. It got strong support from both Republicans and Democrats. Our bill took a serious look and serious action to ensure accountability and efficiency for taxpayer dollars while still funding our national security priorities. So even with those reductions, the NS-RP bill maintains a robust funding for our allies, allies like Israel, like Jordan, like Egypt, Taiwan, and countered adversaries like communist, the Communist People's Republic of China, Iran, Cuba, and the drug cartels, including those designated as foreign terrorist organizations. And today, with our fiscal year 27 process underway, well underway, we will hear testimony from members, members of the House, on their priorities reflecting the interests of the American people that will shape our fiscal year 27 bill. I want to thank my colleagues for testifying today, for taking time, the one thing none of us have enough of, right, is time, taking your time to present your views and priorities for the fiscal year 27 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bills. With your input, this bill will continue to work and will continue to work as we did in fiscal year 2026 to make our nation, frankly, safer, stronger, and more prosperous while using our constituents' taxpayer dollars more efficiently and effectively than ever. I want to thank, I don't think I could have a better person to work with than the distinguished ranking member. She says that's true. And so while we have differences, we trust each other. She is, she's a straight shooter. She's honorable and honest. It's a privilege to work with the ranking member. Now let me, let me yield to our distinguished ranking member, the gentlewoman from Florida, Madam Lois Frankel.
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