Jennifer Windsor on Areas of Concern in the Middle East
Project on Middle East Democracy - Project on Middle East Democracy
Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations and Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights in the Middle EastPresident Bush recently submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2009 to the Congress, the final such request of his eight-year tenure.As the House and Senate debate appropriations levels for various programs, it is worthwhile to examine the levels of funding for democracy and governance programs for the Middle East, as well as the various bilateral foreign assistance packages to the region.What are the most significant changes in these portions of the budget request, as compared with budget requests and appropriations from previous years?How would this budget impact US efforts to support democracy in the Middle East and North Africa? How will the funding levels ultimately approved by Congress likely compare with this request?And which democracy and governance programs established or expanded during President Bush's tenure are most likely to receive continued support by the next administration? - Project on Middle East Democracy