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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on U.S. Democracy Assistance Funding

Original title: STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

January 1, 2017

foreign policy democracy promotion appropriations national security soft power

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The Frame

What this does

The subcommittee oversees approximately $2.3 billion in annual funding for democracy programs, which supports international initiatives aimed at fostering democratic institutions and stability.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Taxpayers

Taxpayer funds are allocated to the $2.3 billion democracy assistance budget.

Democracy-promoting organizations

These organizations receive federal funding and institutional support to carry out their programs.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a hearing to discuss the effectiveness and importance of U.S. democracy assistance programs. Witnesses from major democracy-promoting organizations testified on how these programs support national security and global stability.

Key Facts

The subcommittee provides approximately $2.3 billion annually for democracy programs.
This funding represents roughly one-tenth of one percent of the total federal budget.
The hearing focused on the role of 'soft power' in national security and counter-terrorism efforts.
Witnesses included leadership from the National Democratic Institute, U.S. Institute of Peace, National Endowment for Democracy, and the International Republican Institute.
The subcommittee discussed the strategic value of democracy promotion as a tool to prevent conflict and counter authoritarian influence.

Why It Matters

The subcommittee oversees approximately $2.3 billion in annual funding for democracy programs, which supports international initiatives aimed at fostering democratic institutions and stability.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the U.S. spend on democracy assistance programs?

The subcommittee provides approximately $2.3 billion annually for these programs.

What is the purpose of these democracy programs?

According to the hearing, these programs aim to promote democratic institutions, freedom of speech, and the rule of law to enhance global stability and national security.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Emphasis on Soft Power

The hearing highlights a strategic shift toward framing democracy promotion as a necessary component of national security and counter-terrorism, rather than just humanitarian aid.

Lindsey Graham Madeleine Albright

Connected Entities

organizationNational Endowment for Democracy“Organization receiving federal support for democracy promotion”Map →

personJames Kolbe“Vice Chairman of the Board, The International Republican Institute”Map →

personVin Weber“Co-Vice Chairman of the Board, The National Endowment for Democracy”Map →

personLindsey Graham“Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Pr”Map →

personStephen Hadley“Chairman of the Board, The United States Institute of Peace”Map →

personMadeleine Albright“Chairman of the Board, The National Democratic Institute”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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