The U.S. Senate Budget Committee has released the draft Foreign Operations Budget 2021, which will address funding from the State Department and other agencies, including USAID. According to the document, Georgia will receive $ 132 million in aid from the United States. Unlike the document adopted by the House of Representatives, the draft budget published by the Senate does not provide for a limit on the allocation of funds, which should have been up to 15% of the aid allocated to Georgia by the budget prepared by the House of Representatives.
According to a document published by the Senate Budget Committee, the $ 132 million to be allocated to Georgia for specific areas should be distributed as follows:
From the assistance budget for Europe and Central Asia to Georgia - $ 83 million;
$ 5.7 million for international drug control;
$ 1.1 million to support counterterrorism programs;
$ 2.2 million for international military education and training;
$ 40 million for International Military Financing Program.
Negotiations will be held between the Senate Budget Committee and the House Budget Committees to approve the 2021 fiscal year budget for U.S. Foreign Operations, with the result that the text of the budget will be agreed upon and subsequently voted on.
It is unknown if the limit points will be included in the document, which was previously provided in the document supported by the House of Representatives.
The US House of Representatives on July 24 approved the text of the State Department and Foreign Operations budget, which included a 15% suspension of assistance to Georgia if certain preconditions were not met.
In more detail, the text of the document adopted by the House of Representatives was as follows:
"Assistance - According to Chapters 3 and 4 of this Act, assistance of at least $132,025,000 shall be allocated to Georgia.
Fundraising - Defined assistance should not be disbursed until the US Secretary of State determines and submits evidence to the committees that the Georgian government is taking effective steps to:
A) to strengthen its democratic institutions;
B) fight corruption in government, including strengthening anti-corruption laws and regulations;
C) Ensure that the rule of law for the private sector complies with internationally recognized standards, including protecting foreign business people's rights, financial interests, and investments.
Exceptions - The suspension provided for in the paragraph Aid shall not apply to programs that support democracy, the rule of law, civil society, and media freedom in Georgia. It also aims to help victims of gender-based violence and vulnerable populations, "the document reads.
