FY 2012 Budget Passes Congress

On Saturday, December 17, 2012 Congress passed H.R. 2055, a large appropriations bill funding multiple federal departments for the 2012 fiscal year, including the U.S. Department of State. The so-called megabus provides $598.8 million for exchange programs, the same amount received in FY 2011.

The State-Foreign Operations section of the bill—which includes the State Department and USAID—is more complicated than in previous years. For the first time, appropriations are divided into two accounts, the core budget and an Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) component. The FY 2012 allocation provides $583.2 million for exchanges in the core budget ($15.6 million below the FY11 level), and an additional $15.6 million for OCO costs, for a total FY 2012 level of $598.8 million.

See a full summary of the State-Foreign Operations portion of the megabus on the Senate Appropriations Committee website, and see the full conference report of the FY12 spending bill on the House Rules Committee website (download the Division I [eye] PDF for the State-Foreign Operations portion).

To find out how your Senator voted visit: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/112/senate/1/votes/235/

To find out how your Congressman voted visit: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/112/house/1/votes/941/

If your Senator or Representative supported H.R. 2055 please write them and express your gratitude. Taking the time to thank your members of Congress can help your organization build vital relationships with elected officials.

Please download the updated template letter thanking your Senator or Representative for supporting the IVLP below, customize it for your CIV, and send it to your members of Congress. If you send a letter to your Senator or Representative's office please blind close-copy Zac Carr ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Please feel free to contact Zac with any questions.

Advocacy Call to Action Resources

For questions, suggestions, and updates regarding advocacy, contact NCIV Interim President Mark Rebstock ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Communications & Advocacy Associate Zac Carr ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Please copy Mark or Zac on Congressional correspondence and NCIV would greatly appreciate it if you keep us updated on major advocacy developments and initiatives. Thank you for all you do to advocate for NCIV, the IVLP, and citizen diplomacy.