Top Business Leaders Release Economic Policy Brief Linking U.S. Job Creation to Development and Diplomacy

Washington, D.C.—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today delivered a policy speech on the essential role America’s global leadership plays in strengthening the U.S. economy and creating American jobs.  At the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s (USGLC) annual conference, Secretary Clinton joined business, military and political leaders to explain how the United States’ international engagement efforts directly benefit America’s economy.

At the conference, top business leaders released a new economic policy brief, “America’s Global Leadership: A Strategic Investment for U.S. Jobs,” authored by nearly 20 business leaders from some of America’s top companies, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Caterpillar, GE, Walmart, Procter & Gamble and more.

“With the bulk of future population and economic growth projected to take place outside the U.S. – and much of that in developing nations – it’s clear that building our presence in international markets is essential to economic and job growth here at home,” said Land O’Lakes President and CEO Chris Policinski.  “International development enhances our ability to engage with our global neighbors, develop new trading partners, and expand global markets for American goods and services.”

In the policy brief, these top business leaders call for policymakers to support a key strategic investment of the International Affairs Budget as a driver for growing American jobs, writing “the world is not standing still, and American businesses and workers run the risk of being left behind if the United States does not continue to play its traditional role in maintaining a level playing field and opening markets. The question is not whether the United States can afford to make this investment; it is how we could possibly afford not to.”

Describing USGLC’s new economic policy brief, Mark Green, former Ambassador to Tanzania and U.S. Congressman, and now senior director at USGLC, said, “We need to tell the story of how American jobs are fundamentally connected to our investments in U.S. global leadership. When the United States helps other nations take on their development challenges, it gets American working here at home.”

Also at today’s conference the USGLC unveiled a dynamic new video demonstrating the benefits of the International Affairs Budget to the U.S. economy.  American exports support 10 million U.S. jobs, with exports to developing countries increasing three times faster than to developed countries.

With the United States still facing a difficult economy, jobs and recovery are likely to be hot topics during the upcoming election cycle. At the conference, USGLC launched “Impact 2012,” its initiative to ensure discussions around U.S. global leadership are part of the 2012 campaign cycle. “Impact 2012” will provide a platform for candidates to articulate their positions and participate in a dialogue around international engagement.

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

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