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Dear USGLC Board of Directors,


Last week's USGLC Tribute Dinner was spectacular and a powerful reminder of why our work is so important. I am extremely grateful for your support and was only sorry that a few of you had to miss our signature event. Here is a quick update, along with a recap of the CROmnibus' impact on international affairs.


USGLC's "Smart Power Prom"

With nearly 900 guests filling the Shoreham ballroom, the USGLC's 10th annual Tribute Dinner brought together D.C.'s foreign policy elite, as noted in Politico's Playbook the next day. One press recap claimed we "crowned the smart power prom kings and queen" in honoring Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), and USAID's Raj Shah.


Some of my favorite highlights:

§ Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) led the tribute to Raj Shah adding a terrific bipartisan flavor to the evening. He was certainly at his best that night - stating he was going to make the International Affairs Budget the "cool account" in the year to come. Senator Graham told the audience that they "represented ISIS' worst nightmare" and "if you don't support this account, you're the ultimate political loser and you're going to hell." Needless to say, he was a big hit.


§ We had a record number of Honorary Congressional Co-Chairs - over 200 - with a strong showing from both sides of the aisle, including over half of the Senate!


§ Our Dinner Co-Chairs, Kathy Calvin of the UN Foundation and Rhonda Zygocki of Chevron, did a masterful job, rallying nearly 25 Vice Chairs who helped us exceed our fundraising goal of nearly $550,000.


§ The showstopper was the Amani Children's Choir from Uganda (Thank you Land O'Lakes) and their breathtaking rendition of America the Beautiful.


[cid:image007.png@01D019F2.C83F3530] <http://dinner.usglc.org/#highlights-play>


CROmnibus Mixed Impact for International Affairs

The final "CROmnibus" is mixed news for the International Affairs programs. On one hand, the nearly $51 billion for International Affairs programs is slightly higher than current appropriations ($300 million or +0.6%) including the base and the OCO funding, and even stronger when you include the Ebola supplemental of $2.5 billion.


However, the final agreement heightens our concerns about the erosion of on-going base funding. Without the OCO funding for the war, the FY15 base appropriations is only $41.6 billion or 5.6% less than current levels. To put this in perspective, this is 16% below the base funding levels of 5 years ago. You can read the full USGLC press statement here<http://www.usglc.org/2014/12/10/spending-bill-sustains-global-engagement-but-serious-funding-challenges-remain/>.


January Board Meeting

January's Board of Directors meeting will begin on January 27 at 11:00 am and conclude by 3:00 pm on January 28. Details will follow. This will be a first-ever joint strategy retreat, offering a unique opportunity for us to combine the creative and intellectual weight of our talented boards.


Our primary focus will be the 2016 Presidential campaign and USGLC's Impact 2016 initiative. Sessions will include:

§ Discussions with prominent pollsters on attitudes toward our role in the world;

§ Off-the-record conversations with senior Administration officials and incoming Members of Congress;

§ Private reception and dinner with special VIP speakers;

§ Small group strategy sessions, including analysis of likely candidates and outreach plans.


The year ahead is certain to be challenging. I look forward to your guidance and input as we finalize plans for what promises to be a busy year ahead.


All the best for a happy holiday season!


Best regards,

Liz
liz@schrayer.com<mailto:liz@schrayer.com>