Excerpts from House State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing
April 23, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – Opening Statement
Importance of International Affairs Funding to National Security
- “Our 2009 supplemental budget request for the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development is a significant sum, but represents only a fraction of what our government spends each year on national security.”
- “Yet today, diplomacy and development are even more essential to safeguarding the security and prosperity of our people and our nation. The expenditures we make now to build stable and peaceful societies will be far less costly in lives and dollars than military action down the road.”
Commitment to Smart Power
- “This supplemental budget reflects our commitment to smart power and to using taxpayers’ dollars for maximum advantage in areas of immediate need….”
Commitment to U.S. Global Engagement
- “Under President Obama’s leadership, we have launched a new diplomacy powered by partnership, pragmatism and principle. We are strengthening historic alliances, reaching out to create new ones, and harnessing the resources and talents of governments, the private sector, and civil society to find global solutions to global problems.”
Challenges and Impact of the Global Economic Crisis
- “Extreme poverty poses one of the greatest threats to global security and prosperity, and to our own.”
- “Development experts have predicted that 50 million more people could end up living in poverty this year. A sharp increase in global poverty has the potential to spark new humanitarian crises, erode gains from a wide range of U.S. taxpayer investments in development, reverse progress toward achieving the Millennium Development goals, and de-stabilize countries that are key partners of the United States.”
Modernizing Foreign Assistance
- “To pursue an ambitious foreign policy agenda that advances our interests abroad and safeguards our security for the future must begin with reform in our own agency.”
- “To blend development and diplomacy in a robust foreign policy is essential to meeting the challenges of these times. And to do so we are committed to creating a more agile, effective State Department and USAID, staffing them in the right way, and giving our people the resources and authorities they need to carry out the Administration’s agenda.”
Full Statement
Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY-18) – Opening Statement
- “President Obama’s election and your leadership have generated new optimism and hope that our country can pursue a new direction to address the global challenges that threaten international security. But as you know optimism and hope must be accompanied by smart strategies and tough diplomacy.”
