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I was in New York with many of our board members earlier this week at
the 'Olympics of diplomacy' - the annual opening of
the U.N. General Assembly. What a traffic mess when 193 nations
convene, all trying to move their motorcades through a few square
blocks of Manhattan!


Lots has already been reported on President Trump's debut U.N.
speech, but check out this edition of the GLOBAL GAB -
interesting tidbits on his speech, how Bill and Melinda Gates and
Michael Bloomberg are filling the Clinton Global Initiative space, and
what's happening with the Sustainable Development Goals two
years later.


Back in Washington, only 5 legislative days remain until the end of
the government's fiscal year and while repeal of Obamacare
dominates the headlines once again, there's important intel to
share on the foreign affairs budget below.


And keep sending me what you're hearing when it comes to foreign
policy and politics.

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB: Trump at UN, Elvis and aid, and the biggest upset you
haven't heard about
September 20, 2017


SHINING CITY ON A HILL. In the midst of his trademark "America
First' speech, President Trump added his most specific
statements to date on global development, calling America "a
compassionate nation." The President said that the U.S.
"continues to lead the world in humanitarian assistance"
highlighting famine relief in hot spots from Africa to the Middle East
with specific shout-outs to "PEPFAR... the President's
Malaria Initiative; the Global Health Security Agenda; the Global Fund
to End Modern Slavery; and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance
Initiative." Also of note, the President gave a nod to the
70-year anniversary of the Marshall Plan - one of the largest
foreign aid packages ever.


SOVEREIGNTY STATEMENT. At the same time, the President consistently
returned to his hallmark "America First" theme throughout
the speech, mentioning the frame of national sovereignty more than 20
times. Council on Foreign Relations chief Richard Haass tweeted:
"Respect for [sovereignty] a necessary but not sufficient
condition for stability in global world."


GOALKEEPERS. With the Clinton Global Initiative coming to an end after
more than a decade, new players convened the big signature
conversations in New York this week - namely Bloomberg and the
Gates Foundation. Today, Bloomberg will gather business leaders and
President Obama and Malala Yousafzai join power couple Bill and
Melinda Gates, who just launched their new "Goalkeepers"
initiative marking the world's achievements toward the
Sustainable Development Goals. Get smart with some of the top stats in
their data-driven report:
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=zUzaXxxu-PDYd2pyAROYWw

-- Defeating Poverty: The number of people living below the
international poverty line - $1.90/day - has dropped from
35% to 9% since 1990


-- Fifth Birthdays: More than 100 million children have been saved
since 1990, reducing the rate of under-5 deaths by more than half


-- Combatting Malaria: In the last 15 years, malaria deaths decreased
by 60%

UBER REPORT. We did the wonky reading for you! Last week, the USGLC
released our "Report on Reports" - a summary
snapshot of over 60 reports from top think tanks and national security
experts on tackling the key issues facing the State Department, USAID,
and beyond. As Foggy Bottom carries out their "Redesign"
initiative, we found more agreement than divergence - pointing
out 7 key consensus areas on how to strengthen and reform
America's civilian tools of national security. A quick read.
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=AoPYF9OM9kH7PPewicyKRg


ARTICLE ONE. In a powerful display of legislative leadership, top
Congressional foreign policy Chairs and Ranking Members weighed in
with the Administration on their "Redesign" initiative,
reaffirming their constitutionally mandated oversight role plus their
centrality in any reform process at the State Department and USAID.
House Appropriations leaders Hal Rogers and Nita Lowey alongside
Foreign Affairs chiefs Ed Royce and Eliot Engel pressed White House
Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to work with Congress, writing
"Without Congressional assent, reform will not be sustainable
over the long-term." A big deal.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=-p9zAIieafhhLkLP4exolQ


OVERWHELMING REJECTION. A big political upset that you may have missed
in recent days: Senator Rand Paul once again tried to slash the USAID
budget in half to offset hurricane relief funding. Senators from
across the political spectrum overwhelmingly rejected the proposal in
a definitive 87-10 vote, sending a clear message that we will always
care for our citizens in times of disaster without undercutting our
security and economic interests around the world.


BUDGET MATTERS. With unanimous approval, the Senate Appropriations
Committee signed off on the budget for the international affairs
programs - formally rejecting the Administration's
proposed 32% cut for next year. The NY Times Editorial Board praised
the Republican-led committee's denunciation of the
Administration's budget, which called it "an apparent
doctrine of retreat" from the world and stated "fire-power
cannot replace diplomacy and development." Read the details of
both the Senate and House bills here.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=AXFVDAQ4O0y7g-cjQDSXWQ


HORRIFYING FAMINE STAT. Up by 10 million, there are now 30 million
people facing starvation as food crises continue to worsen across East
Africa and in Yemen. Not surprising, newly-minted USAID Administrator
Mark Green took his first overseas trip to some of the hardest hit
countries and used the platform to give a boost to the Feed the Future
initiative by announcing 12 new target countries including places like
Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda where security and hunger issues
directly collide.


READ ACT. Just signed into law by the President last week, the READ
Act will accelerate basic education and help address the more than 263
million children and youth that are out of school in the developing
world. Big hat tip to the sponsors, Senators Rubio and Durbin and
Reps. Reichert and Lowey.


LEANING IN. 40+ business leaders from top American brands -
including Gap Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble -
penned a letter to Secretary Tillerson urging him to fill the role of
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Good news:
Secretary Tillerson just announced the position will remain, but now
awaiting a speedy nomination announcement.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=j6ciMpK_LIEzWamBVYOuPw


FROM GOVERNOR TO AMBASSADOR. A smart read for the U.N. General
Assembly week - check out the long-form profile on Ambassador
Nikki Haley by CNN's Elise Labott. Aside from sharing how she
actually declined the job of Secretary of State, one of the most
interesting insights: "I knew my job was to show the American
people why the UN mattered."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=pGhEiCuNaRLr4SC-s00fJw


MYANMAR CRISIS. More than 160,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar
for neighboring Bangladesh in recent weeks amid a surge in violence
that some are calling "ethnic cleansing." With overflowing
refugee camps and widespread suffering, the crisis is top of mind for
policymakers and humanitarians alike.


FINAL FOUR. Three USGLC board members just made the final round of the
MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for a $100 million
impact grant. Making the cut: Catholic Relief Services on transforming
the orphanage system around the developing world and a joint project
by the International Rescue Committee and Sesame Workshop that
promotes learning and education for refugee children. Congratulations!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. A couple quick reads for your week:

-- Charlie Wilson's War. The President's top generals know
the lessons all too well from this Congressman and the film that bears
his name. Read in The Hill what the Administration's new
Afghanistan strategy might mean for strengthening America's
civilian tools around the world.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2E3SubKIHyvX7xDR8Lt7FQ


-- Elvis and Aid. Making the case Why Elvis and Foreign Aid Matter in
The Jackson Sun, a Tennessee native explained that as a
"cultural export of American history" Elvis made the world
a better place, just as our nation's diplomatic and development
programs do today.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=JIYJEy5eJO6VwzHjU_S7aw


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