On September 30, 2024, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6) and Darrell Issa (R-CA-48), submitted a bipartisan letter to the House and Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees requesting that they provide $271.703 million for Conventional Weapons Destruction programs in the fiscal year 2025 budget. This matches the allocation put forward by the House of Representatives.
This year, for the first time, the Senate budget has not allocated funding for the State Department’s Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) program, though funding at last year’s level is included for humanitarian demining programs.
In addition to humanitarian demining, the CWD account funds vital global weapons and ammunition security management programs to diminish safety risks associated with unsecure government weapons and ammunition stockpiles. These programs are critical for preventing unplanned ammunition storehouse explosions that can harm thousands of people. These programs also reduce opportunities for weapons and ammunition, including highly lethal shoulder-fired rockets and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), to be diverted to terrorist or criminal organizations. Funding these programs is essential for national security and international stability. The letter urges a CWD topline allocation to protect funding for these programs.
Read the full letter and see signatures below.
