Committee Republicans Secure Significant Wins During State-Foreign Operations and Interior-Environment Markups

WASHINGTON - Today, the full committee met to consider the fiscal year 2023 bills for the subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations and Interior and Environment.

Ranking MemberKay Granger (R-TX), the lead Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said of the measures, "At a time when our allies face acts of terrorism and our enemies continue to be aggressive, Democrats included misguided conditions on key partners around the world and opened the door for bias against our great ally Israel at the United Nations. In addition, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle directed federal resources to partisan climate initiatives and limited opportunities for domestic energy production.

"Thankfully, many Republican amendments were accepted, including preventing funding for an Iran Nuclear Deal unless approved by Congress and for the U.N.'s Commission of Inquiry - a new tool used to target Israel. In addition, Democrats joined us in holding bad actors like Russia accountable and in strengthening congressional oversight of aid to Ukraine. While more needs to be changed to adequately address the needs of the American people and our allies, we secured significant wins during today's markups."

State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee Lead Republican Hal Rogers (R-KY) added, "These are extraordinary times for American security and the security of our allies and partners around the world. Unfortunately, this bill falls short on the most fundamental priority - protecting our national security. Instead of providing robust increases for security assistance to key allies and partners, the bill instead holds flat or cuts these key investments. Meanwhile, the bill places greater priority on an extreme climate change agenda, the United Nations, and increasing the size of bureaucracy. This approach is counterproductive to our own interests, especially at this critical moment in history."

Interior-Environment Subcommittee Lead Republican Dave Joyce (R-OH) added, "While I support many of its bipartisan provisions, this legislation fails to address the dire energy crisis our country is in due to the Biden Administration's hostility towards domestic conventional energy production. With rising energy costs and unprecedented prices at the pump, it is more important than ever that we support an all-of-the-above domestic energy strategy. And yet, this legislation would prevent and disincentivize domestic production, making us more dependent on foreign powers-including our adversaries and those with questionable environmental and human rights policies…all while providing a nearly $7 billion increase in discretionary spending. I simply cannot support this bill when our national debt has surpassed $30 trillion, inflation has hit a 40-year high, and Americans are facing record breaking gas prices. I urge my colleagues on this Committee to continue working together to find common ground, address the ongoing energy crisis, and reach a bipartisan agreement on spending."

In an effort to push back on the Democrats' partisan proposals, Republicans offered several amendments during both markups.

Republican Amendments to the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill:

Adopted Amendments

• Prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to:
  • Purchase Russian equipment for UN peacekeeping missions;
  • The United Nations anti-Israel Commission of Inquiry;
  • The EcoHealth Alliance, which has been implicated in the origins of COVID-19; and
  • Implementation of the Iran Nuclear Deal unless approved by Congress and to prevent the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps from being delisted as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
• Strengthen congressional oversight of aid to Ukraine.

Rejected Amendments

• Increase security assistance for Taiwan and other partner nations to counter Chinese global and regional influence.
• Restore long-standing conditions on the UN Human Rights Council to address bias against Israel and oversight requirements for the UN Relief and Works Agency.
• Prevent the administration from upgrading its diplomatic mission to the Palestinians.
• Promote pro-life policies by ensuring that foreign aid is not used for abortion; strengthening protections against coercive abortion; and prohibiting funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
• Stop funds from being directed to the Green Climate Fund.
• Ensure there is a consistent supply of energy for the Midwest by prohibiting the Line 5 Pipeline from shutting down.

Republican Amendments to the Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill:

Adopted Amendment

• Adds language addressing infrastructure improvement by the Forest Service and rising construction costs.

Rejected Amendments

• Increase domestic energy production by directing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to hold three offshore lease sales that were canceled by the administration and by allowing continued oil and gas development in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
• Restore longstanding language that prevents the listing of sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
• Increase funding for critical minerals research to the requested level.
• Prohibit DOI from delaying permits for critical mineral projects and from withdrawing lands from new mineral and geothermal leasing unless authorized by Congress.
• Restore two longstanding, bipartisan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agriculture provisions that exempt farmers and livestock producers from burdensome greenhouse gas permitting and reporting requirements.
• Prevent EPA from implementing new regulations regarding Waters of the United States (WOTUS) until the Supreme Court issues a decision on the pending Sackett v. EPA case.
• Prevent EPA from implementing burdensome air regulations and add language limiting overregulation as the country faces potential rolling power outages due to the strain on the energy grid.
• Prevent DOI and the Forest Service from straining the already-underfunded Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for border mitigation work.

Ranking member remarks for each full committee markup are linked below:
State-Foreign Operations Full Committee Markup - Granger
State-Foreign Operations Full Committee Markup - Rogers
Interior-Environment Full Committee Markup - Granger
Interior-Environment Full Committee Markup - Joyce