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Dear USGLC Board Members,

A few quick updates before the weekend:

1. Exit polls. The exit polls out of Wisconsin were again concerning: nearly 56% of Republicans said they believe trade takes away U.S. jobs with the populist rhetoric heating up on both sides of the aisle. This is a growing problem and one we need to discuss at the May board meeting.

2. Press engagement. We had several strong media hits this week, well-timed to impact next week's activities around spending levels for the International Affairs Budget:

* Military Voices in POLITICO: USGLC's National Security co-chairs Admiral Stavridis and General Zinni penned a terrific op-ed for POLITICO "Don't shortchange foreign aid<http://politi.co/1SD7tNN>" stating "The military can't do it alone. Agencies like USAID and the Peace Corps are vital to keep America safe." Please have your teams share on Twitter<https://twitter.com/USGLC/status/718155964780830720> and Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/USGLC/posts/10153580281917773>.
* Senators Letter Media Hits: The "powerhouse" bipartisan letter signed by nearly 20 former Senators on USGLC Advisory Councils has made the rounds. Stories appeared in CQ, CQ Budget Brief, and POLITICO Budget and Appropriations Brief (see attachment).

3. Senate 302(b) Announcement. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled for next Thursday to approve how much money each spending bill will get for FY17.

* We are in full mobilization mode to try to stop a severe cut to International Affairs programs. Our State Advisory Committee leadership and Rapid Response teams are making calls to the Senate, while we are working with Congressional champions.
* Senator Graham's subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday featuring Bono, and Graham is now calling for additional emergency money for our programs.
* If your office has not been involved in contacting Senate offices, please be in touch with Lindsay Plack at lplack@usglc.org.<mailto:lplack@usglc.org>

4. Lastly, CFR's President Richard Haass weighed in on aid this week at a SFRC hearing stating that foreign assistance is a good "return on investment for the United States" and that it shouldn't be "collateral damage" when tackling the debt. Nice addition to the positive comments by Senators Corker, Rubio, and Flake - and a change from some of the campaign trail rhetoric.

Have a great weekend and more next week.

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGL