Merritt Island, FL – As Artemis II prepares to splash down from its mission to the moon, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) hosted a community conversation today at the Kennedy Space Center headlined by Representative Mike Haridopolos (R-FL-08), bringing together over 100 local leaders to discuss how “When America Leads, Florida Wins.”

Former Representative Ted Yoho (R-FL-03), retired U.S. Air Force Lt. General Richard Newton, and Lockheed Martin Space’s Director of Government Relations Joe Rice joined Rep. Haridopolos to underscore the importance of smart, strategic investments in assistance and diplomacy that strengthen our national security and build trade and economic opportunities for Florida businesses to compete and win around the world.

Rep. Haridopolos opened his remarks by speaking about the “soft power” of the Artemis II launch for American global leadership and diplomacy: “Artemis is a U.S. led, NASA led, international effort, but it’s bigger than any one company or any one country… Space is important to mankind, let alone the United States. Because, again, it’s not just an adventure, it is vital to our diplomacy around the world and America is achieving better things if we work together.” 

Former Rep. Yoho spoke about how he wanted to cut assistance when he first entered Congress, but his mind changed when he traveled internationally and saw the real-world value and impact: “If we use [international assistance] strategically, and it’s effective and it’s efficient, it moves our security and our prosperity down the road and makes us all safer.” 

Lt. Gen. Newton emphasized how diplomacy and assistance advance America’s national security interests: “Leading globally is critical to the security and prosperity of the Floridians, but also the nation here at home and abroad… I think of diplomacy, foreign assistance, really, as… a force enabler, as well as extraordinarily enhancing to whatever the national security goal and objective is.”

Lockheed Martin Space’s Director of Government Relations Joe Rice highlighted how space technologies are transforming global health outcomes, noting that U.S. investments open doors for even the smallest nations to harness innovation: “You can do soil moisture from space. You can look at insecticide and where you need it and where you don’t from space and from drones and other things. So I think it really is global health.”

USGLC’s Carey Campbell put the investments in perspective: “Strategic investments in U.S. international assistance, which is less than 1% of the total U.S. government spending, is essential to protecting our national security, keeping Americans healthy, maintaining our economic edge, and projecting the best of America’s values.” 

FULL LIVESTREAM HERE

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