UPDATE:
Later (week of January 25, 2026), Congress approved and Trump signed into law the FY 2026 spending bill as highlighted below, retaining $338.2 million for WASH. Advocates are still trying to determine what plans State Dept. has or may develop for actually spending the Congressionally-directed WASH funding in FY 26 (Oct 1, 2025 – Sept 30, 2026). We are now working to get Congress to include WASH in FY 2027 funding in the appropriations process underway now and through this summer; next action is likely in House Appropriations Committee this April/May. – John Sparks, MWA
Monday, January 12, 2026, Washington, DC – Republican and Democratic appropriators released a $50 billion compromise bill Sunday evening, rejecting many of the Trump Administration’s proposed deep cuts to international aid programs. It reduces last year’s $451 million for WASH to $338.2 million.
The bill has a broad range of reductions, but given the hyper-partisan political environment and the greater negatives associated with adopting yet another Continuing Resolution (CR) as stopgap to avoid government closure, aid advocates generally see this as a good step.
The bill is characterized as a “minibus,” funding two appropriations areas: Financial Services (FSSG), and National Security (NSRP in the House and SFOPS in the Senate), the latter continuing to fund several State Department programs that the Trump Administration and its Musk-led DOGE initiative sought to cut.
The new National Security appropriations bill is $19 billion more than Trump’s request. Major provisions include:
Economic and Development Assistance – The bill includes $6.8 billion for a new, consolidated National Security Investment Programs account to support bilateral economic and development assistance, including economic resilience, food security and agricultural development, counter-trafficking in persons, education, conservation and energy, water and sanitation, women’s empowerment, and other programs to advance prosperity and development globally. This is $3.9 billion above the level requested by President Trump and will restore many activities canceled in 2025 through Trump’s rescissions and impoundments.
Humanitarian Assistance – The bill provides $5.5 billion for humanitarian assistance programs with new oversight requirements to ensure that funds are prioritized to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs. This funding will be through a new International Humanitarian Assistance account that supports the activities previously funded under International Disaster Assistance and Migration and Refugee Affairs. This is an increase of $1.5 billion, or 37 percent, above the Trump budget request for these activities.
“American First Opportunity Fund” – $850 million for emerging priorities under Congressional oversight, $1.2 billion less than the Trump request. In contrast to the request, this bill requires Congressional consultation and notification and is subject to “all regular authorities and limitations.”
Global Health – Includes $5.9 billion for global HIV/AIDS, $3.0 billion above the fiscal year 2026 budget request; $1.25 billion for the Global Fund; $3.5 billion for programs to improve maternal and child health and fight infectious diseases, $2.6 billion above the FY 26 budget request; $575 million for bilateral family planning.
Trying to Get the Administration to Spend It
Given this Administration’s record of ignoring Congressional (and judicial) directives, what are the chances all of this funding – if enacted by the full House and Senate, and not vetoed by Trump – will make its way into actual programs run by the State Department in FY 26?
Mindful of this, the House and Senate committees issued a Joint Explanatory Statement that included this:
Spend Plan.-· The Secretary of State shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations on the initial planned allocation of funds prior to the submission of the initial spend plan required under this heading. The spend plan shall include planned obligations by region, country, program, and type of support, including but not limited to food, health, nutrition, shelter, protection, water and sanitation, third-party monitoring, general contributions, program support, and other administrative expenses. Subsequent quarterly spend plans shall include actual obligations and disbursements from the preceding reporting periods.
A CR was merely an extension of spending voted on by Congress in the previous year, with a Democratic-controlled Senate. This session of Congress has both a Republican-controlled Senate and House, and they would “own” this bill, and be more inclined to defend it from Administration attempts to “claw back” some funding as the year proceeds. They will be supported by the changing atmosphere among some Republicans about pushing back on some of the Administration’s disregard for Congressional directives.
MWA and many other advocates agree with this, and prior to the year-end recess we communicated with Congressional offices to urge support for a “real” FY 26 bill and not default to the “easier” route of yet another CR.
The bill may come to the House floor for a vote before this week ends, though not sure yet. The Senate is out on recess next week, but could take up the bill as soon as it returns January 26.