Thomas Nides on Smart Power
As Jack Lew was confirmed as the new OMB director last week, Thomas Nides appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearings to be Lew’s foggy bottom successor as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Budget. His testimony gives a glimpse into his views on the next steps for the Administration’s efforts to further elevate development and diplomacy.
While acknowledging the progress made by his predecessor, Nides observed he has much work ahead of him saying, “The effort to elevate civilian power as a core element of our foreign policy remains a work in progress.” He listed three priorities he will focus on: increased capacity for a more operational and expeditionary State Department, improved ability to deal with the “complex challenges” of the frontline states, and implementing reforms that strengthen transparency, and accountability.
The national security implications of funding for international affairs ran through his testimony, as Nides noted the “greatest growth in the State Department’s budget has come from taking on greater operational responsibilities in meeting a few exceptional challenges: in particular, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.” He pledged to continue to support the close working relationship between State and Defense, noting the tripling of the civilian presence in Afghanistan and new responsibilities for civilians in Iraq.
The challenges of making the case for the International Affairs Budget were not lost in his remarks either. He pledged, if confirmed, to “help the Secretary make the strongest argument for the resources that State and USAID need” but also to continue “efforts to drive hard choices and cease lower-priority programs and activities that cannot be justified in this economic and fiscal climate.” Echoing the QDDR and USAID Forward initiative, he committed himself to “results-oriented reform.” Looking forward, Nides stated that, if confirmed, he “will play a key role in implementing the QDDR’s findings” and pledged to work closely with Congress in doing so.
