President Obama defended American engagement abroad on Monday afternoon, and calling out the national security, economic, and humanitarian importance of U.S. international affairs programs. During a Google+ “Hangout” and broadcast live on Youtube, Obama answered questions from five American’s over a video feed, and responded to 23 electronically submitted questions. Over 133,000 questions were submitted though Google and Youtube, but it was a homeless veteran from Boston who pressed the President about his support for foreign aid.

Asked whether the United States could afford to spend money abroad when so many are hurting at home, the President acknowledged the difficult situation, but defended international affairs programs saying, “We only spend about 1 percent of our budget on foreign aid. But it pays off in a lot of ways.” Helping other countries improve their economies, avert famine, or stabilize their economies “prevents us from having to deal with some military crisis somewhere down the road that could be even more expensive,” he stated. Obama then turned the discussion to national security matters, and the cost of military spending. “Most of the aid we provide goes to countries that are helping us with our national security. When we’re providing aid to that country, we may be saving a larger amount in terms of what we would have to deal with if they weren’t cooperating with us.” The International Affairs Budget, therefore, is used to prevent potential military expenditures that would be far greater in the cost of both the American pocketbook and the lives of American soldiers.

The International Affairs Budget is critical to protecting and promoting American interests in the world, and we look forward to the President’s release of his FY13 budget proposal on February 13th.

Media clips with Senator Lindsey Graham:

Former Ambassador and Congressman Mark Green told listeners that the International Affairs Budget is a great return on investment for American taxpayers.

By Matthew Lee

Associated Press, April 27, 2010

WASHINGTON — One issue that unites all secretaries of state of either party is maintaining a strong U.S. profile in world affairs.

All eight living secretaries of state have reaffirmed this, signing a joint letter urging Congress not to slash President Barack Obama’s proposed $58.5 billion foreign affairs budget. They called the request critical to America’s security and global presence.

The letter was sent to the Hill after the Senate Budget Committee stripped $4 billion from the spending plan last week. The former top diplomats from Democratic and Republican administrations dating to 1973 argued that full funding of the spending plan is essential.

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By Josh Rogin

The Cable, April 27, 2010

If there is one issue that every one of the last seven secretaries of state agrees on, it’s the need to increase State Department and foreign assistance funding next year.

That’s the message Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher, Lawrence Eagleburger, James Baker, George Shultz, and Henry Kissinger sent to Congress in a letter (pdf) Tuesday urging Congress to support President Obama’s request for $58.5 billion worth of funding for State Department and foreign operations in fiscal 2011.

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By Laura Rozen

Politico, April 27, 2010

As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins mark up today of the first foreign affairs authorization bill in five years, all eight living former U.S. Secretaries of State have written a letter urging Congress not to cut the international affairs budget.

“As former Secretaries of State who have served in either Democratic or Republican administrations, we urge you to support the FY 2011 International Affairs Budget request,” the former secretaries of state write, in a letter organized by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

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