Increase non-military aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion

Bill pending in Senate

Updated: Monday, November 23rd, 2009 | By Lukas Pleva

During the campaign, Barack Obama promised to increase U.S. nonmilitary aid to Afghanistan to $3 billion. The additional funds would be used for much-needed reconstruction of national infrastructure, training of local security forces, and combating corruption and drug trafficking.

President Obama's budget for 2010 moves him closer to fulfilling his promise. According to the Project on Middle East Democracy, "President Obama has made renewed focus on Afghanistan a key part of his administration's foreign policy, and his budget request clearly reflects that priority." If Congress was to grant him the full $2.777 billion that he requested, it would make Afghanistan the largest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance in 2010.

On July 9, the House of Representatives passed the 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The legislation provides $2.695 billion in foreign aid for Afghanistan--$82 million below the President's request, but $7 million above 2009 enacted level. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the bill the same day, providing $2.7 billion in aid. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said that the "bill goes a long way to enhance the capacity of the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development to carry out diplomacy and development programs in areas of critical importance to the United States."

To be sure, the Senate still has to vote on the bill, the two congressional chambers must reconcile the different amounts, both of which are short of the $3 billion mark, and President Obama has to sign the bill into the law. Clearly, however, it's a start. We rate this promise In the Works.

Sources: U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill Summary , Accessed November 19, 2009.

U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Summary: FY 2010 Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations , Accessed November 19, 2009.

Project on Middle East Democracy, The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010: Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle East , July 2009.