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The Weekly GAB Friday, April 28, 2017
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | www.usglc.org
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=3J7X-dCJIi9oqtw0CL_v5A

USGLC in the News

JANESVILLE GAZETTE EXTRA
Leading Globally Matters for Wisconsin

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=LmgEBB9T1aQe2gn0rnqhjQ

Col. Mark A. Freitag, U.S. Army (Ret.), City Manager of Janesville,
and Peter Kranstover, former USAID Foreign Service Officer

Thirty-one percent-that's the unthinkably dangerous cut to
our nation's international affairs programs the Trump
administration called for in its recent proposal to Congress. And
while cutting funds for programs overseas may sound like it puts
America first-it actually achieves the opposite. A drastic cut
to our country's development and diplomacy programs threatens
both our national security and our economy. As Wisconsinites who have
served our country abroad-one in the U.S. Army, and the other
with the State Department and U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID)-we have seen firsthand how our
nation's diplomats and development professionals work alongside
our servicemen and women to keep our country safe and secure.

THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Maintaining Foreign Aid Keeps 'America First'

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=9uPgZ4gZITQdtW-LebW5Fg

Andew Natsios, former USAID Administrator

President Donald Trump's reaction to Bashar al Assad's use of chemical
weapons against his own people - a U.S. military strike on the air
base from where the attack was launched - is a welcome development.
Among other things, it demonstrates that President Trump may be
starting to see the world as it is - that there are threats to U.S.
interests and values in the world that we can no longer pretend don't
exist. Last month, the Trump administration proposed cutting the State
Department budget and American foreign assistance by 31 percent. The
past two weeks have begun to reveal a more strategic approach to
foreign policy from the White House and Secretary Rex Tillerson.
President Trump should now reset his administration's budget
priorities and roll back the draconian cuts.

ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
Leading Globally Matters Locally |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=4D_k76YeY1ewNt3pCJ3oLw

Andrea Worker

In the view of Connolly and the members of the USGLC, a large part of
tackling today's diplomatic issues and the increasing threat of
terrorism is to maintain and enhance the U.S. role on the world stage,
and to keep funding intact for the International Affairs Budget.
It's also critical to the economic health of the nation, and to
the Commonwealth of Virginia, he said. American leadership on the
military and the diplomatic fronts is key to combating terrorism...and
fighting the root causes that keep the problem growing...Failure to
act and stay engaged..."fertilizes the breeding grounds of
terrorism," in the opinion of Vice Admiral William Sullivan.

Transition 2017

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Tillerson in No Rush to Fill Nearly 200 State Department Posts |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Ob36mczOCoBesv8myg5naA

Gardiner Harris

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has done almost nothing to select
leaders for the White House's consideration, and nominations for
assistant secretaries and others who largely run the State Department
are unlikely to be made for months. In an unusual interview, R. C.
Hammond, Mr. Tillerson's spokesman, said the secretary intended
to embark within days on a listening tour of the building and then a
restructuring of the department's operations. Only after those
are underway will he begin to name his wider leadership team...That
means the department will remain largely leaderless until well into
2018.

Who's in the News

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Colombia Is a 'Smart Power' Success Story

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Ocmr6lhn5GogOorBAkZwUQ

Bill Lane, former Director of Global Government Affairs, Caterpillar
Inc

Twenty years ago, Colombia was on the verge of becoming a
narco-terrorist state. The government had ceded large swaths of
territory to the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or
FARC. In 2000, President Clinton and House Speaker Dennis Hastert came
together in a bipartisan effort to help Colombians take back their
country. It was known as Plan Colombia. The U.S. invested about $10
billion in Plan Colombia...Equivalent to about three weeks of the Iraq
war. Plan Colombia is a reminder that a sustained, bipartisan
intervention that includes defense, diplomacy, development and
democratic values can be effective.

CNN
Nikki Haley: An Unprecedented Step on Human Rights

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=TrEq8HBbAIVxXEvNdbZelg

Ambassador Nikki R. Haley, United States Permanent Representative to
the United Nations

The next international crisis could very well come from places in
which human rights are widely disregarded. Perhaps it will be in North
Korea or Iran or Cuba. We don't know when the next group of desperate
people will rise up or when the next gang of violent extremists will
exploit human suffering to further their cause. But we know from
history that it will happen. And when it does, the United Nations will
be called upon to act. We are much better off acting before abuse
turns to conflict.

DEVEX
Foreign Aid Works for Us All
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=fjbWeK7huDT0UCwz4L76HA

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children

Leaked documents reported this week suggest the Trump Administration
would like to cut foreign aid by more than 30 percent and possibly
merge the U.S. Agency for International Development with the State
Department. This proposal comes despite the fact that we are facing
the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II-there are more
people fleeing war and persecution than ever in history-and
famine conditions are threatening parts of the Middle East and Africa.
I've recently heard some critics say that foreign aid does not
work. This could not be farther from the truth.

FINANCIAL TIMES
Ivanka Trump: Investment in Women Unleashes Global Gains

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ysoW6sHOhqJn6QugHljPwQ

Ivanka Trump, and Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group

At the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund spring
meetings last week in Washington, a central theme was how to
accelerate sustainable, inclusive economic growth. But as world
leaders seek to reignite the global economy, a large part of the
formula for growth and stability is undervalued: the economic
empowerment of women. Only 55 per cent of women participate in the
paid labour force globally and they continue to be an untapped source
of growth. This is an invaluable asset with proven returns, but we
have not invested the resources to unleash women's full
potential.

BROOKINGS

A Guide for Secretary Tillerson: Let State Focus on Diplomacy, USAID
Be Accountable for Assistance |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=WbN_NAvLTDIhJ8fv5OKWhQ

George Ingram

Any foreign affairs restructuring must be undertaken carefully and
strategically, guided by an understanding that development and
diplomacy are distinct disciplines with distinct expertise and with
distinct but interlocking objectives. Both are required to achieve our
national interest. They need to inform and coordinate with the other,
and each needs to be allowed to focus on its primary mandate.
Diminishing the roles of either puts America at risk. Whether we are
seeking to build markets for U.S. goods abroad that create jobs at
home, to provide life-saving assistance, or to stabilize communities
after conflicts, diplomats and development professionals are on the
front lines serving the national interest.

Development & Diplomacy

FOREIGN POLICY
The End of Foreign Aid as We Know It |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=8bBQJrIFFjVLn9lEixEh-g

Bryant Harris, Robbie Gramer, Emily Tamkin

The administration's March budget proposal vowed to slash aid to
developing countries by over one-third, but contained few details.
According to a detailed 15-page State Department budget document
obtained by Foreign Policy, the overhaul also includes rechanneling
funding from development assistance into a program that is tied
closely to national security objectives. The cuts are also indicative
of the wider push to tie development aid with U.S. national security
interests. The budget zeroes out funds for Development Assistance,
which funds 77 countries and regional offices, and redirects much of
the remaining funds to the Economic Support Fund, which is tied to
specific U.S. political or strategic objectives.

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
43 Senators Rally Against Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=dVVxZdfYB93Pl8wgrGgtHw

Travis J. Tritten

A group of 43 senators, including six Republicans, is saying President
Trump's plan to boost defense spending in the next fiscal year by
slashing the State Department and foreign aid would undermine U.S.
national security and economic interests. The group, led by Sen. Dick
Durbin, D-Ill., and freshman Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., include members
of the foreign relations and armed dervices committees and are the
latest evidence of widespread opposition in the chamber to Trump's
budget plans. Their letter was signed Thursday and sent to Senate
budget officials and appropriators.

POLITICO
Bipartisan Senate Group Urges Against International Affairs Cuts |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2_JVy3jQVYPNqaum2DBoYA

Madeline Conway

Forty-three senators from both political parties have signed a letter
urging against deep cuts to the U.S. international affairs budget,
warning that a huge reduction in resources would harm national
security. "At a time when we face multiple national security
challenges around the world, deep cuts in this area would be
shortsighted, counterproductive and even dangerous," the
senators, led by Democratic Whip Richard Durbin and Sen. Todd Young,
an Indiana Republican, wrote to budget and appropriations committee
leaders in a letter dated Wednesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Latest: Democrats Block Spending Bill as Shutdown Looms
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=TYNLqCnCcVSYc0P_kjv-gQ

Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have joined forces against the
deep cuts President Donald Trump has planned for American diplomacy
and foreign aid. Forty-three senators have released a letter saying
that deep cuts "would be shortsighted, counterproductive and even
dangerous" at a time when the U.S. faces numerous security challenges
around the world. The letter's organizers are Democratic Sen. Richard
Durbin of Illinois and Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana. It went
to leaders of the Senate Budget and Appropriations committees.

Politics & Foreign Policy

FOREIGN POLICY

6 Things We Know About Trump's Foreign Policy After 100 Days |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=_jg0nzK9de1oBHRbPuUugQ

Hal Brands

The Trump administration is nearing its 100-day marker, a useful
milestone for reflecting upon what the president has done and where he
is going. There is certainly much to consider: President Donald Trump
came to Washington pledging to break dramatically with American
foreign policy as we have known it for decades, and his early
presidency has been a whirlwind of activity, controversy, and chaos.
So what do we know about foreign policy in the Trump era? There are
six key takeaways so far.

REUTERS

U.S. Says 'Major Conflict' With North Korea Possible, China Warns of
Escalation |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=0mkvwuMqg4sevfs9FLTh2A

Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom

U.S. President Donald Trump said a "major, major conflict" with North
Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,
while China said the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate
or slip out of control. Trump, speaking to Reuters on Thursday, said
he wanted to resolve the crisis peacefully, possibly through the use
of new economic sanctions, although a military option was not off the
table. "There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major
conflict with North Korea," Trump said in an interview at the Oval
Office.


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