WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition President and CEO, Liz Schrayer, issued this statement following the release of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal:

It is jaw-dropping to consider the current worldwide threats facing America – from Russia’s advancement on Europe, to the global competition with China, to Iran’s destabilizing efforts across the Middle East, to the unprecedented and rising global humanitarian crises. Never have the converging threats been so extreme while resources for America’s civilian national security toolkit have been so constrained.

Yet, America is tying our hands behind our back when it comes to our investments to protect our national interests. With the trifecta of likely diminished global resources for FY24, the stalled National Security Emergency Package, and severely capped resources for FY25, we are simply seeing a mismatch of America – again and again – not responding fully to threats that could land on our shores while our adversaries and competitors are hardly slowing down. I fear they continue to play three-dimensional chess while we play checkers on the global stage.

We know that the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 request for U.S. international affairs programs is presented within spending constraints. At the same time, America’s military leaders constantly tell us that these civilian resources are a relatively small, but vital investment to protect our nation’s security and economic interests.

Given the scale of threats America faces, we urge policymakers to finalize FY24 international affairs spending and prevent sequestration’s dangerous cuts, protect economic and humanitarian assistance in the National Security Emergency Package, and support no less than the Administration’s FY25 request for the U.S. International Affairs Budget.