As Congress looks to reduce the U.S. national debt, “both the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate have proposed slashing financing for the State Department and its related aid agencies at a time of desperate humanitarian crises and uncertain political developments,” the New York Times reports. The proposed cuts to President Barack Obama’s FY12 spending request would be “the first significant cuts in overseas aid in nearly two decades, a retrenchment that officials and advocates say reflects the country’s diminishing ability to influence the world,” according to the newspaper. The reductions would affect global health programs and humanitarian assistance for disaster-hit areas, among other programs, the newspaper notes.

Both the House and Senate budget proposals for foreign assistance “cut spending across the board, and around the world,” the newspaper writes, adding, “Given the relatively small foreign aid budget — it accounts for one percent of federal spending over all — the effect of the cuts could be disproportional.” Though “the final budget for the year remains uncertain given the politics surrounding the special Congressional committee charged with finding more than $1 trillion in cuts over all, it is clear that foreign aid will decline for a second year,” according to the New York Times (Myers, 10/3).

For additional information on the status of the budget, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Budget Tracker and Policy Tracker, which provide the latest information on Congressional and Administrative action on global health.