Monthly Archives: September 2009
“President Obama’s nomination of Daniel Yohannes to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) fills one of the important positions responsible for overseeing the U.S. International Affairs Budget. Mr. Yohannes has an impressive resume from the business world and a uniquely American story having arrived in Los Angeles at the age [...]
With the planned Senate hearing for the fifth and final health care overhaul bill this week, Congress continues to move forward on the FY10 Appropriations process. As the 2010 fiscal year is only 9 days away, Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government open. This week, the House plans [...]
As news of President Obama’s announcement to revise U.S. antimissile plans in Eastern Europe made the headlines, the Senate moved closer to finishing at least half of the 12 FY10 Appropriations bills with passage of the Transportation-HUD bill yesterday. It remains unclear whether or not the Senate will have the time to bring up the [...]
As the health care debate begins to heat up with the release of Sen. Baucus’ (D-MT) health care proposal, the Senate continues to work on passing as many FY10 Appropriations bills as it can before the end of the fiscal year. It remains unclear whether or not the Senate will have the time to bring [...]
This morning, members of the USGLC’s Leadership Circle met with Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA-17) to thank him for his steadfast leadership in support of the International Affairs Budget and to present him with the USGLC’s Global Engagement Award. Congressman Farr has signed the Congressional Letter to the President in support of the International Affairs Budget [...]
As the health care debate continues in Congress, the Senate continues to work on passing as many FY10 Appropriations bills as it can before the end of the fiscal year. This week, the Senate is expected to pass the Transportation-HUD bill, and is expected to take up the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense or Interior-Environment bills. The $48.7 [...]
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry made the case for global climate change responsibility yesterday, warning an audience at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs of the wide-reaching consequences of inaction. During his speech, which opened a conference sponsored by the American Security Project and the University, Senator Kerry spoke about the [...]
Jim Kunder, Former USAID Acting Deputy Administrator GMF Blog The American humorist Mark Twain once famously exhorted: “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Just before the Labor Day weekend, the Obama Administration gratified the advocates of enhanced U.S. foreign aid, and probably astonished some cynics, by announcing a [...]
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its final FY10 Appropriations bill – Defense Appropriations. With all 12 bills now passed out of committee, the full Senate will now turn its attention to passing the remaining 8 bills. The $48.7 billion FY10 State, Foreign Operations bill, the largest component of the International Affairs Budget, is not [...]
Andrew J. Shapiro, Assistant Secretary, Political-Military Affairs Keynote Address to ComDef 2009, September 9, 2009 Good morning, and thank you to the organizers of ComDef 2009 for this opportunity to talk to you about smart power, and how it will shape our priorities in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. As Secretary Clinton is [...]
