FY 2021 Congressional Budget Justification - Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

To achieve our many goals - the foremost being the security of the American people at home and abroad - the Budget requests $41 billion for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The State Department and USAID are dedicated to implementing the Trump Administration's national security and foreign policy agenda. We focus diplomatic and foreign assistance resources to address challenges such as terrorism, international health and humanitarian disasters, and competition from nations that do not share our values of freedom and democracy.

We will invest in new capabilities to defend American interests and values across the security, trade, and information domains. We intend to bolster support for the Indo-Pacific Strategy; counter Chinese, Russian, and Iranian malign influence; protect religious freedom; secure our borders; and help America's allies become ever-stronger national security and economic partners. We will do all of this while sustaining our vital missions of facilitating legitimate travel and protecting our global U.S. government personnel, facilities, and data assets.

The State Department and USAID are also devoted to creating economic prosperity for Americans. The FY 2021 Budget Request promotes U.S. economic growth by creating welcoming environments for U.S. businesses overseas, supporting the Department's continued efforts to strengthen engagement with the private sector, and creating a fair and level playing field. The Budget recalibrates American contributions to international organizations to a more sustainable level, maintaining American leadership while asking other nations to increase their support. We also continue to invest in the Department's global workforce and promote efficient operations through information technology modernization and overseas humanitarian assistance reform.

The Budget puts U.S. national security interests first, while carrying out our fiduciary responsibility to the U.S. taxpayer through necessary trade-offs and reductions. With the support of Congress, this budget request will position the State Department and USAID to achieve America's strategic priorities and remain world-leading instruments of diplomacy, development, and freedom.