FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2013 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry holds a bilateral meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, at the State Department in Washington. Sealing his transition from legislator to diplomat, Kerry is immersing himself in unresolved global problems: Egypt in chaos, Syria engulfed in civil war, Tunisia rocked by political assassination and a moribund Arab-Israeli peace process. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Budget fight prompts fear of US diplomatic retreat
Published: 08:29:18 PM, Fri 15 February 2013 UTC
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States' claim to global diplomatic pre-eminence could take a major hit if legislators cannot stave off automatic spending cuts.
The price: $2.6 billion.
In a real-world sense, that means tough foreign policy choices for newly sworn Secretary of State John Kerry if the budget impasse isn't solved.
The reductions would affect everything from security funding for allies like Israel to humanitarian aid in war-torn nations like Syria.
And it would affect security at embassies and consulates, an incredibly sensitive topic since the September attack in Benghazi, Libya.
With Democrats and Republicans locked in a budget disagreement, the State Department was among the federal agencies this week to begin announcing forecasted cuts.
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