Washington -- President Bush is seeking more than $37 billion from Congress in fiscal year 2009 spending to strengthen U.S. diplomacy by helping countries build democracy, recover from conflicts and improve lives and livelihoods by confronting disease and poverty.

The White House’s FY 2009 foreign operations budget currently under review by Congress includes $22.7 billion for foreign operations and U.S. Agency for International Development programs, $3.15 billion in foreign economic support and $11.4 billion in administrative costs. The final amount approved by Congress is likely to be smaller, and will serve as the initial foreign affairs budget for the next president after the November 2008 elections.

In April 9 testimony before members of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice outlined the administration’s request to support key U.S. diplomatic priorities and bolster reconstruction and development efforts worldwide.

MIDEAST PEACE, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN

Supporting the Middle East peace process is a top U.S. priority, and the budget request includes $100 million in aid for Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including $25 million to help the Palestinian Authority enact reforms and meet peace process obligations; $24 million to strengthen governance and the justice system; $18 million to support new businesses; and $33 million for health, education and humanitarian services.

The White House also seeks $469 million to help Iraq build on improved security by training a new generation of Iraqi leaders to provide services to their communities, support government reforms and promote new economic opportunities for Iraqi farmers and entrepreneurs. An additional $75 million will go toward helping Iraqis continue to develop their legal system, while $20 million in additional funds will pay for land-mine removal and counterterrorism programs.

Many challenges remain in Afghanistan as well, and the president is requesting $1.05 billion in aid to support that country’s recovery, including $370 million for counternarcotics efforts, $248 million to train and support the government, $109 million for health and education, $226 million for economic growth, $74 million to support the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and $12 million in food aid.

The Bush administration is also requesting $826 million in aid for Pakistan. The money is aimed at enhancing stability through strengthened democracy, expanded economic opportunity and better health and education programs.

The experience in post-conflict states such as Afghanistan and Iraq has shown the need for a wide array of expertise in fields as diverse as finance and law, education, agriculture and construction, says Rice. A new $251 million Civilian Stabilization Initiative will bring together experts from across the U.S. government and the private sector to build a team of non-military volunteers who will bring help and hope to communities.

The United States values its allies, says Rice, and the White House seeks $1.53 billion to pay assessed contributions to 47 international organizations, including the United Nations. This is in addition to $1.497 billion in U.S. contributions toward U.N. peacekeeping missions, including ongoing efforts in Lebanon, Haiti, Liberia and the Congo, as well as new missions in Darfur and Chad.

An additional $247.2 million will fund training and deployment of international peacekeepers through programs such as the Global Peace Operations Initiative, African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance and the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission in the Sinai.

AID AND TRADE

Humanitarian aid, economic development and trade agreements are also important elements in America’s overall strategy to promote peace and security. The budget request includes $2.25 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corporation to help eligible states develop and implement programs to alleviate poverty, improve healthcare and promote economic opportunity. An additional $1.63 billion is slated for development programs in Africa, the Western Hemisphere and the Middle East.

The administration requested an additional $764 million to aid refugees and resettle displaced people through contributions to nongovernmental humanitarian assistance groups. An additional $45 million aimed toward Iraqi and Afghan refugees will be requested late in the year.

HIV/AIDS remains a major challenge in the developing world, and the budget request includes a $4.77 billion request toward the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, part of a doubling of Bush’s initial five-year $15 billion commitment to help nations deliver anti-retroviral drugs to the infected and HIV/AIDS education programs to at-risk communities.

Trade is another means to provide new economic opportunity, promote development and alleviate poverty, and Rice reiterated the president’s commitment to a successful Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks to further reduce trade barriers and urged members to approve pending free trade agreements with U.S. allies Colombia, Panama and South Korea.