Secs. Gates and Clinton on the Hill
Secretaries Gates and Clinton testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday on the Administration’s request for an additional $37.5 billion for FY10 war spending, including $4.5 billion for the International Affairs Budget. Secretary Clinton spoke about the whole-of-government effort the U.S. needs in its foreign policy. “[W]e are very much committed together on behalf of our civilian and military efforts in the front-line states,” she said. “We don’t think that they can be separated because the challenges we face demand that we draw on all of the tools of American leadership and American power.” Secretary Gates agreed it was crucial to have U.S. foreign policy be a three-legged stool: “[E]ven at a time of budget pressures, I believe it is critical to sustain an adequate, sustainable level of investment in the instruments of national power – be it defense, diplomacy, or development – that are so essential to America’s security and position in the world.” Many of the questions from Senators focused on ensuring the accountability of how the funds are being used and concerns about corruption in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
