The Federal Budget and Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2013

This fifth annual report by POMED Executive Director Stephen McInerney offers a detailed look at the U.S. administration's approach to funding and providing assistance to support democracy and governance in the Middle East and North Africa. This report, sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, draws some conclusions regarding the administration's approach to the region more broadly. As some countries in the region embark on political transitions and others continue to protest authoritarian rule, it is important to examine changes in U.S. funding for the Middle East and the impact on Washington’s relations with the region.

This publication focuses on several key questions: What does U.S. funding tell us about the priorities of the Obama administration and its policy response to the events in the Middle East? How are ongoing uprisings in some states—and transitions underway in others—affecting U.S. assistance to the Middle East and North Africa? What are the most significant elements of U.S. funding and appropriations this year, particularly compared to funding prior to the dramatic political uprisings of the past 18 months? What has been the impact of the ongoing U.S. deficits and budget cuts on funding for the Middle East? And what might we expect from Congress in the steps remaining in its appropriations process?