Drawdowns and peacekeeping assistance

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1. Drawing on existing stocks

Most security assistance is bought: through a sale, a case funded by grants, or a contract. A drawdown is different. It takes defense articles, services or training the government already has, and provides them without a new purchase. Section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act is the general drawdown authority, and it is written for situations that do not fit the ordinary routes.

The emergency drawdown has two conditions. The President must determine and report to Congress that "an unforeseen emergency exists which requires immediate military assistance to a foreign country or international organization" (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(1)). The President must also determine that the need cannot be met under the Arms Export Control Act or any other law except this section.

If both hold, the President may direct a drawdown of Defense Department articles, services and military education and training, up to an aggregate value of $100,000,000 in any fiscal year (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(1)).

2. Drawdowns for other programs

A second drawdown authority serves other assistance programs. Where the President determines and reports that it is in the national interest, articles and services may be drawn from the inventory and resources of any agency, and training from the Defense Department (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(2)(A)). The purposes listed are international narcotics control, international disaster assistance, antiterrorism assistance, nonproliferation assistance and migration and refugee assistance, together with one specific humanitarian recovery program.

This authority has its own limits. The aggregate value may not exceed $200,000,000 in any fiscal year. Within that total, no more than $75,000,000 may come from Defense Department inventory and resources, and no more than $75,000,000 may be for narcotics control (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(2)(B)). The section also sets separate annual ceilings for particular recipients named in the statute.

3. Telling Congress

Drawdowns are notified before they happen. The President may not exercise the special authorities in these sections unless, before exercising them, he notifies the Speaker of the House and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in writing. The notice gives each intended exercise, the section relied on, and the justification for and extent of the exercise (22 U.S.C. 2411).

Section 506 adds its own rule. The authority is effective for an emergency "only upon prior notification" to the foreign affairs and appropriations committees of both houses (22 U.S.C. 2318(b)(1)). For drawdowns for narcotics control and antiterrorism, notice must come at least 15 days in advance under the reprogramming procedures.

Reporting continues after delivery. The President must keep Congress fully and currently informed of everything provided, including a report of all articles, services and training delivered. That report must also say whether savings were realized by using commercial transport rather than government transport assets (22 U.S.C. 2318(b)(2)).

4. Commercial transport inside a drawdown

Delivery can be contracted. For any law that authorizes a drawdown, the drawdown may include commercial transportation and related services acquired by contract for that purpose. The condition is cost: the commercial option must cost less than the government providing the same services from existing agency assets (22 U.S.C. 2318(c)).

The statute also authorizes appropriations to reimburse the accounts from which drawn articles, services and training came (22 U.S.C. 2318(d)). A drawdown is therefore paid for after the fact, not in advance.

There is a limit on what a drawdown can fund. The drawdown authority in section 506, like the Act’s transfer and special waiver authorities, "shall not be used to augment appropriations made available pursuant to sections 2396(g)(1) and 2397 of this title or used otherwise to finance activities which normally would be financed from appropriations for administrative expenses" (22 U.S.C. 2360(b)). A drawdown supplies articles, services and training to the recipient. It is not a way to pay for the government’s own running costs.

5. Peacekeeping operations assistance

A separate chapter of Part II covers peacekeeping. "The President is authorized to furnish assistance to friendly countries and international organizations, on such terms and conditions as he may determine, for peacekeeping operations and other programs carried out in furtherance of the national security interests of the United States" (22 U.S.C. 2348). The assistance may include reimbursing the Defense Department for certain expenses, capped at $5,000,000 a year unless more is specifically authorized.

The authorization figures in the Code date from fiscal years 1986 and 1987, and appropriated amounts remain available until expended (22 U.S.C. 2348a(a) and 22 U.S.C. 2348a(b)). The section has not been updated with later figures.

6. The peacekeeping emergency powers

Peacekeeping has two emergency tools. Where an unforeseen emergency makes assistance beyond available funds important to the national interest, the President may transfer funds from another part of the Act, up to $15,000,000 in a fiscal year (22 U.S.C. 2348a(c)). If the emergency also requires immediate assistance, the President may direct a drawdown of commodities and services from any agency, up to an aggregate value of $25,000,000 a year. The statute sets one further country-specific ceiling of the same size.

These drawdowns are also reimbursed through later appropriations (22 U.S.C. 2348a(d)). One administrative rule places this chapter with the economic assistance part of the Act for most purposes. References in other laws to that part are read to include it, and references to the military assistance part are read to exclude it (22 U.S.C. 2348c).

7. How the two sets of authority differ

Section 506 draws on Defense Department stocks, services and training for military assistance, and on any agency for the listed civilian programs. The peacekeeping powers draw commodities and services from any agency and add a funds transfer. Both depend on a presidential determination, both are notified to Congress before use, and both are reimbursed afterwards by appropriation (22 U.S.C. 2318 and 22 U.S.C. 2348a).

8. What this means for industry

A drawdown moves material that already exists, often quickly and under emergency determinations. The statute expressly allows commercial transport to be contracted where it is cheaper, and requires the government to report the savings. How equipment reaches a partner once released is covered in title transfer and risk in transit.

Key terms

Drawdown	Provision of existing government articles, services or training, reimbursed later by appropriation.
Section 506(a)(1)	The emergency drawdown authority, capped at $100 million a year.
Section 506(a)(2)	The drawdown authority for other assistance programs, capped at $200 million a year.
Peacekeeping operations	Assistance under chapter 6 of Part II for peacekeeping and related national security programs.

Every statement above links to the document behind it. The full source list for this piece is on the sources page.

This page describes public United States government programs for general information. It is not legal, regulatory or procurement advice, and it does not address the facts of any particular case.

How Sentfore supports this

Drawdowns often move material quickly, and the statute allows contracted commercial transport where it costs less. Sentfore works at the delivery end of defense programs in difficult environments, providing secure movement, protective security, facilities and life support. Requirements can be sent through the contact page.