B 265948 

Background

The United States began providing limited assistance to the Soviet Union

in December 1990 to support the reform effort and then increased

assistance after the Soviet Union dissolved in December 1991. In

October 1992, the Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian

Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992 (P.L. 102 511),

commonly known as the Freedom Support Act, was enacted. It further

increased assistance to the 

FSU

 and established a multiagency approach for

providing assistance.

In 1991, Congress authorized the Department of Defense (

DOD

) to establish

a Cooperative Threat Reduction (

CTR

) program to help 

FSU

 states

(1) destroy weapons of mass destruction, (2) store and transport those

weapons in connection with their destruction, and (3) reduce the risk of

proliferation. Subsequently, Congress added other objectives, including

promoting defense conversion.

Other agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (

NASA

), the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce,

Energy, Health and Human Services, and State, also implement programs

in the 

FSU

 with funds not specifically appropriated for the 

FSU

 programs.

Results in Brief

From fiscal year 1990 through December 31, 1994, U.S. departments and

agencies obligated $5.4 billion and expended $3.5 billion for grant

technical assistance, exchange programs, training, food and commodity

donations, mutually beneficial science and technology projects, and

support of joint space efforts. The U.S. government also provided about

$10 billion in credit for bilateral loans, loan guarantees, and insurance.

During this same period, 23 departments and independent agencies

implemented 215 programs in the 

FSU

.

3

 However, three agencies, the U.S.

Agency for International Development (

USAID

), the Department of

Agriculture (

USDA

), and 

DOD

 implemented the large majority of noncredit

programs. 

USDA

 also funded the largest portion of credit/insurance

programs.

Most of the funding for U.S. programs came from budget accounts in the

international affairs, defense, and agriculture budget functions. However,

funds also came from eight other budget functions.

3

Twenty agencies implemented only noncredit programs, 1 agency implemented only credit/insurance

programs, and 2 agencies implemented both kinds of programs.

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