On Sunday, May 23 Gen. Michael Hagee, USMC (Ret.), and Adm. James Loy, USCG (Ret.), co-chairs of the USGLC’s National Security Advisory Council, sat down with Defense News’ Vago Muradian to make the case for fully funding President Obama’s $58.8 Billion request for the International Affairs Budget and to boost funding for our civilian-led tools of development and diplomacy.

Last week’s International Donors Conference on Haiti

Haitian authorities, who had asked for about $4 billion in aid for the next 18 months, described the outpouring of support from the international community as “testimony that Haiti is not alone.”  Being in the Western hemisphere, it’s in the strategic interests of the U.S. to help Haiti.  From the beginning of the crisis, USAID has been leading the recovery efforts there with strong cooperation and assistance from both the diplomatic and military communities.  Taking on the task of coordinating the aid efforts during his first week in office, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah has won plaudits for his leadership in responding to the earthquake, demonstrating the ability of America’s civilian agencies to lead the way in U.S. foreign policy.

In donating such a large sum at the Donors Conference, the United States is elevating its commitment to diplomacy and development, which, alongside defense, form the three-legged stool of American foreign policy. In her remarks at the Conference, Secretary Clinton made clear that contributing to Haiti’s rebirth is not only consistent with America’s best values, it is in our self-interest: “Each of these problems directly affects the people of Haiti, but they indirectly affect us all.” Problems like drug trafficking “thrive on political and social instability.” A strong Haiti has positive effects throughout the region, she continued: “Haiti will become an engine for progress and prosperity generating opportunity and fostering greater stability for itself and for countries throughout the hemisphere and beyond,” Haiti will also have its own “strange bedfellows” program as it rebuilds.

The Conference’s Co-Hosts and Co-Chairs released a statement emphasizing the importance of international coordination in rebuilding Haiti. The statement highlighted the “importance of holding outreach consultations with a large number of key communities, including the Haitian people, civil society, NGOs, local governments, the private sector, the Haitian Diaspora, and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti stakeholders.”

Photo Credit: United Nations

Secretary Gates agreed it was crucial to have U.S. foreign policy be a three-legged stool and talked about civilian and military efforts working together.  “[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.”

Accountability Theme Runs Deep

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. Secretary Clinton said she shared concerns that aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan would fall into the hands of corrupt parties–“I am not going to sit here and tell you that it isn’t.”

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AK) pointed out what he called a “shocking” finding of a recent United Nations report on corruption in Afghanistan. “When it comes to accountability for our foreign aid there, could you give us a status report of the things that your department is doing to try to make sure there is sufficient accountability?” Clinton responded said that there will be more support for inspectors general and more auditors, and that the United States will be certifying Afghan government entities that receive funding. “We are working to put people into those agencies,” she said. “Corruption is a deeply ingrained problem, and we just have to be very vigilant about making sure that we are not caught up in it.”

In the meantime, momentum continues to grow in support of the President’s $58.5 billion FY11 International Affairs Budget request from military leaders, the Hill, and from the NGO community.   Nearly 50 members of our National Security Advisory Council – retired three- and four-star generals and flag officers – sent a letter to Congress calling the budget “a fundamental pillar of U.S. national security and foreign policy” and urging full funding of the President’s $58.5 billion request.  Nine members of the House Budget Committee and 42 of the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus wrote to Budget Committee Chair John Spratt in support of the President’s request. Nearly 160 organizations from the NGO community weighed in as well.

Possibility of no budget

There is a chance that Congress will not pass a budget resolution if there continues to be a delay in the Budget Committees’ work.  If Congress doesn’t pass one, then the House and Senate Leadership and Appropriations Committee leaders will determine the spending allocations for each of the 12 Appropriations bills, probably sometime in May.  This would include the FY11 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which funds the bulk of the International Affairs Budget.

In the coming days, additional member caucuses like the New Democrats and Progressives will send letters to the Budget Committee Chairs in support of the President’s request.  We will continue to reach out to key Hill offices and leadership as well, and will keep you updated on what’s happening.

• Gates’ Testimony

• Watch the hearing

Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was on Capitol Hill Wednesday discussing “new directions in global health” before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  His Foundation’s Living Proof Project highlights the many successes of U.S.-funded global health initiatives, and Gates today offered his hard-earned wisdom to the Committee:

“If we continue to innovate and to dedicate resources, huge gains in global health and development are ahead of us. If we keep pushing, we will be able to reduce poverty and prevent disease, which will help countries ultimately end their dependence on foreign assistance and allow more people to live healthy, productive lives without support from the U.S. or other donor governments. “

Gates acknowledged the difficulties President Obama faces as he aims to increase the International Affairs Budget:

“The budget scrutiny that has come with this economic downturn can and should be used to force a new fiscal vigilance that is more creative and more constructive than simply cutting spending…I understand that the federal budget now under consideration will be one of tradeoffs, and a certain amount of spreading the pain will be necessary. As you and your colleagues in both chambers consider the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 International Affairs budget request, I urge you to be mindful of the many successes U.S. foreign assistance has achieved and equally aware of the many challenges that persist.”

President Bill Clinton also testified before the committee, noting that helping the world’s poorest tackle their health problems “is intrinsically good for America’s foreign policy.” When asked by Senator Kerry why the global health initiative is so important, Clinton responded that:

“Apart from the moral claim that we ought to save every child we can, we live in an interdependent world in which we have learned the hard way that no matter how brilliantly our forces perform, we cannot kill, jail, or occupy all of our adversaries. We have to build a world with more partners, and fewer adversaries. That’s what foreign policy is about. And this is an important part of our foreign policy. It makes a world with more friends, and fewer enemies.”

Senator Lugar’s opening statement was optimistic: “I believe we have an opportunity in the coming months to achieve something close to a consensus and pass a global food bill that would have major benefits for international health and stability, as well as for U.S. foreign policy.”

In regards to global health, Senator Kerry explained that “a holistic approach leads us to focus on the women and girls who are at the center of each family’s health, but are too often marginalized by their economies and health systems. This includes taking on maternal mortality, which robs families of half a million young mothers every year.”

The hearing reinforced the messages of other players in the administration, who have also spoken about the vital need for a well-resourced international affairs budget. “It has become clear that America’s civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long – relative to what we spend on the military, and more important, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said at the USGLC 2008 Tribute Dinner.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also emphasized the interests of the United States in supporting development: supporting development: “Development was once the province of humanitarians, charities, and governments looking to gain allies in global struggles. Today it is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative — as central to advancing American interests and solving global problems as diplomacy or defense.”

Yesterday’s hearing was yet further evidence of the broad-based, bipartisan support that exists for investments in development and diplomacy.

USGLC activists took advantage of members of Congress being home during the President’s Day recess and reminded them how important the International Affairs Budget is to their communities.  Key leaders such as House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) heard from SC USGLC leaders who drove home the message about the economic and national security benefits international business and engagement brings to their state.

“My company helps small businesses enter the global marketplace, and I see every day how vital it is for South Carolina firms and for the state to be globally engaged, ” said Fred Monk, president of ECI/Find New Markets and a SC USGLC Advisory Board member, following his meeting with Rep. Spratt. “The International Affairs Budget is an important tool in staying globally connected. I am thankful for USGLC’s leadership in reaching out to our Congressional leaders and keeping the public informed to the need and benefit for this investment.”

Five members of the Nevada State Advisory Council met with Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to thank her for her signing a letter to President Obama requesting a robust FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request and to encourage her continued support now that the budget is in Congress.

“International students contributed $70 million to the Nevada economy last year, so the academic community knows how important funding from the International Affairs Budget,” said Barbara Wood with the University of Southern Nevada. “And with almost 1 out of every 5 jobs in the state supported by trade, we let the Congresswoman know we can’t afford not to invest in emerging markets around the world.”

Activists also met with district staff from Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) office and Senator George LeMieux (R-FL).  LeMieux was a member of the USGLC’s Impact ’08 campaign Florida State Advisory Committee and also signed the FY11 letter to President Obama.

On Wednesday, Feb. 24th, USGLC leaders took Capitol Hill by storm, meeting with over 30 Senators and Representatives on the House and Senate Budget Committees to let them know how important the President’s FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request is to our national security, economic growth, and standing in the world. From General Electric to World Vision, and Proctor & Gamble to CARE, the USGLC participants in these meetings demonstrated broad support from the business, NGO and faith-based communities for our civilian-led tools of development and diplomacy.

Vice Chair of the House Budget Committee Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) spoke at a breakfast briefing for USGLC leaders, reiterating her own personal support for the budget saying it is “morally and economically the right thing to do to provide foreign aid.” While recognizing the challenges of this difficult budget year, Rep. Schwartz noted the International Affairs Budget is a wise investment because it provides resources to grow markets around the globe, strengthen economic ties with other nations, and ultimately create more job opportunities for Americans at home as we export more goods and services.

Throughout the day, USGLC leaders made the case for including the President’s $58.5 billion FY11 International Affairs Budget request in the Senate and House Budget Resolutions to ensure America has the resources and civilian capacity to adequately address the growing global challenges of the 21st century. It’s crucial for Congress to know there is a growing consensus that exists around the country for greater investments in the International Affairs Budget, and Wednesday’s efforts coincided with Secretary Clinton’s first round of hearings on the FY11 Budget before Senate and House Committees.

The International Affairs Budget faces one of the most difficult budget environments in years on Capitol Hill, so it’s critical for USGLC members to convey their support for these programs to Congress. Make your own voice heard by contacting your own Senators and Representative and letting them know how important it is to America to support the President’s full International Affairs Budget request.

The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), led by Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew and co-chair USAID Administrator Raj Shah, is seeking to create a long-term blueprint for State, USAID and other relevant federal players. Since the USGLC hosted the QDDR’s first public event in October, the State Department and USAID have been working to complete the QDDR’s Interim Report, which is expected to be released this month.  It’s anticipated the report will identify a set of themes for each of the five working groups and shape the focus for the final report in May.

The Presidential Study Directive on Global Development (PSD-7) which was ordered by President Obama to assess U.S. development efforts being carried out across the government and make recommendations on they can be more effective and coordinated. The PSD-7 is being led jointly by General Jim Jones, the National Security Advisor, and Larry Summers, chair of the National Economic Council. The release of the PSD-7 is expected to be in March, having been delayed from its original release date to allow for coordination with the interim report of the QDDR.

A few other review processes across the government are examining the roles of diplomacy and development in foreign policy and national security. The National Security Council’s Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) on Security Sector Assistance is exploring the most effective ways to divide responsibility for international security assistance between State, Defense, and USAID, recognizing that all three are necessary for achieving security assistance goals.  Some decisions about funding were taken into account in this year’s International Affairs Budget, with the so-called “1207 funding” transferred to the State Department as a new “Complex Crises Fund” located at USAID.  Congressional authorities for the “1206 funding” for security assistance is due to expire at the end of the year, and the IPC is expected to address this issue over the coming year.

The recently completed Quadrennial Defense Review released by the Pentagon concluded that, “Years of war have proven how important it is for America’s civilian agencies to possess the resources and authorities needed to operate alongside the U.S. Armed Forces during complex contingencies at home and abroad,” and that, “…civilian leadership of humanitarian assistance, development, and governance is essential.” Finally, the Department of Homeland Security’s first Quadrennial Review included in its list of global challenges and threats traditionally non-military issues like global violent extremism, pandemics, and natural hazards. This demonstrates a growing consensus that today’s national security challenges will require the U.S. to take a “smart power” approach to defeat them.

On Capitol Hill, Congress continues its work to elevate development and diplomacy.  Just last week, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Kerry and Ranking Member Richard Lugar introduced a bill to provide additional resources for the State Department, USAID and MCC to strengthen their civilian capacity.  While not a complete overhaul, it would provide the State Department with the authority to support some key priorities.

This bill complements pending legislation introduced last summer to begin a comprehensive reform process that would overhaul and modernize our foreign assistance structure (S. 1524, “Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act” and H.R. 2139, “Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act”). Congress is also consulting with the Administration on the review processes mentioned above.

Sen. Lugar continues to be a vocal advocate for development.  Recently he addressed the challenges facing U.S. development efforts in a speech to the Society for International Development.  He emphasized his commitment to making U.S. development stronger, more effective and more prominent alongside diplomacy and defense in foreign policy.

General Petraeus highlighted the importance of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense to help America meet global challenges describing “a civil-military approach.” In discussing how our civilian-led tools are essential to protecting our national security, he said, “Projects such as building of schools and administration of aid rise in importance in regions where extremist groups recruit heavily.”

Talking about hot spots like Afghanistan and Pakistan and how important civilian-led efforts are in those places, Petraeus said, “Tens of thousands of civilians are working closely with their military counterparts in the Central Command region to achieve the conditions we hope to establish, and this is obviously a hugely important aspect of our operations.”

Stressing how necessary education efforts are to stabilizing societies and in training local police forces in particular, the General commented, “You can’t enforce the law if you can’t read it.  We’ve almost found it more helpful to teach them to read up to an eighth-grade level than anything else.”

This event also marked the launch of the Putting Smart Power to Work campaign in Florida, as well as the new Florida State Advisory Committee, a group of government, military, business and faith-based leaders from the state committed to educating Floridians on the importance of a smart power foreign policy approach.  This distinguished group of individuals will be working across the state of Florida, holding meetings with their members of Congress and raising awareness of how crucial smart power is to Florida’s security and prosperity.

The day before the event in Tampa, National Security Advisory Council Members Admiral Robert Natter and General James T. Hill wrote in the St. Petersburg Times about the important role development and diplomacy play in our national security.

To watch the entire event with General Petraeus, click here.