Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) was on Capitol Hill last week meeting with new members of Congress about living in the age of globalization and how important the International Affairs budget is to our national and economic security.

“Increasingly, people in my home state of Colorado and other states across the country realize that their livelihoods – whether it’s from farming, manufacturing, or information – is involved in globalization,” said Senator Hart.

Hart pointed out, “The pressure is, politically, to reduce government spending, and that’s understandable.  The temptation simply to cut foreign assistance…would have very negative consequences.”  This is especially true as International Affairs programs help to prevent conflicts before they occur.  To that point, Hart said, “We would spend much more money through our military and fighting wars, and losing lives than if we had taken steps to reduce threats before they occurred.”

Nevertheless, Senator Hart has hope for the next generation of leaders. “I think younger people particularly are internationalists, simply by virtue of living in the age in which they live – and they understand that the United States isn’t an island nation anymore.”

Watch Senator Hart’s message here: