TEXARKANA, TX – Today, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) hosted a conversation with Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01), “America and the World: How East Texas Wins,” bringing together over 100 veteran, business, community, farmer, and faith leaders in Texarkana. Rep. Moran was joined by Lt. Gen. Noel T. “Tom” Jones, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) and Joe Rice, Director of State and Local Government Relations at Lockheed Martin Space, for a timely discussion on how America’s role in the world directly benefits Texas’s economy, security, and global competitiveness.

With two of the most heavily trafficked business hubs in the world in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Texas reaches every part of the global economy. As the nation’s leading exporting state, over 39,000 Texan companies and over 3.6 million Texan workers support exports. In 2023 alone, Texas shipped more than $444 billion worth of goods to overseas markets.

At the event, Rep. Moran spoke to the importance of principled American leadership on the global stage: “When America leads with moral clarity, we don’t just defend democracy on our own shores, but we strengthen these values abroad. This has a direct impact on the national security interests of the United States. Texans understand that tyranny anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere. I’m grateful to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition for highlighting how principled American engagement around the world delivers real, tangible benefits for families and communities in East Texas and across the country.”

Lt. Gen. Noel T. “Tom” Jones, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) underscored the strategic value of America’s overseas partnerships: “You can’t surge trust. That’s why it’s so important for us to be stationed overseas…the military understands that when you are their resident in those nations, working with them, partnering with them in times of peace then you don’t have to parachute in during times of war and say, ‘Here comes America. Trust us.’ We build that trust over time.”

Emphasizing how America’s global leadership directly supports local economies, Joe Rice, Director of State and Local Government Relations at Lockheed Martin Space said: “All the activity that is here in this part of the country—in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana—that is dependent on international trade, is dependent on our military and diplomatic alliances. That’s the global to local connection.”

“Texas plays a vital role in America’s connection to the world—from our booming export economy to the veterans and community leaders who understand the value of strong, effective U.S. leadership overseas,” said Kiersten Kullenberg, Outreach Director for Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. “We’re grateful to Congressman Moran for his leadership and partnership in highlighting how diplomacy and development, alongside defense, help keep Texas safe and prosperous—and how smart, results-driven reforms to our international assistance can make these tools even more effective and accountable to the American people.”

Watch the full event here.