USGLC

I still remember when then Secretary of State Colin Powell would travel around the world, and sneak into an office at one of our embassies overseas to see if he could access his computer at the State Department – and lo and behold he could not...

With no shortage of crises on the global stage, there is much to unpack from the Administration’s budget request this week. We took a close look at the national security implications of what I see as a significant and serious call for America’s...

When I decided to join the Peace Corps, it was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life. I was the first college graduate in my working-class family, and they were fearful for me, taking this step into the “unknown,” plus as...

In 2022, USGLC is watching six numbers that will drive global challenges – and depending on how the U.S. responds, it will shape the impact on every American family’s health, security, and economic interests. And no surprise – the tools of diplomacy and global development are going to once again be front and center.

In his new book, Exercise of Power, Secretary Gates reflects on the successes and shortcomings of the U.S. on the global stage, and offers his perspective on a new path forward to confront today’s greatest global challenges.

“Washington is broken, nothing is getting done” is a mantra we hear often these days. Yet there is one issue that has continuously broken through in this Congress with bipartisan support: America’s foreign assistance programs. Five major pieces of bipartisan legislation on global development have been signed into law in less than two years—on food security, energy, rights for women and girls, water and sanitation, and aid transparency—all in an effort to advance America’s interests in the world.

With all eyes on New Hampshire today and the 2016 presidential horserace, it’s pretty easy to miss a relatively wonky, but actually important moment in Washington: the kickoff to the budget season with the Administration’s release of its proposal to Congress. The good news is that the two-year budget deal reached by Congress and the Administration last November spared international affairs programs from dangerous cuts from sequestration. Here are my 6 key takeaways on what the budget proposal means for America’s global leadership.

As we continue to see headlines from ISIS to Putin, our nation’s role in the world is a hot topic for the candidates with polls showing that national security and foreign policy are among the top issues for voters. I’m very pleased to see so many of the candidates from both sides of the aisle sharing their views on global development and diplomacy — and why it matters for America’s national interests.

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of leading three fact-finding trips to Africa with members of Congress, retired generals, policy advisors, and leaders from the private sector. Together, we saw firsthand the invaluable work and impact of America’s development and diplomacy efforts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

We’re headed in the right direction, but the budget may not be keeping pace with global threats.