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Dear Board of Directors,

Quick update on a few things from this week starting with Senator Jeff Flake’s announcement that he is not running for reelection – which on so many levels was sad for me, even though I know our SmartVote 2018 initiative will work hard to ensure a strong USGLC voice for his AZ Senate seat. But most importantly – it raises a very serious red flag for us. Read on.

First on Jeff Flake. In addition to the drama within the GOP, we shouldn’t forget Senator Flake’s long history on our issues – particularly on Africa.

* He spent time as missionary in both South Africa and Zimbabwe and has led the Africa Subcommittee. The USGLC hosted him several times, including a statewide event in Phoenix with former AFRICOM Commander Kip Ward.
* Not surprising, during his emotional floor speech on Tuesday – he reinforced his concerns about American leadership in the world: “Despotism loves a vacuum and our allies are now looking elsewhere for leadership. Why are they doing this? None of this is normal.”

The elephant in the room: Watching Corker and Flake retire (and some GOP moderates in the House) raises all the red flags we discussed at the board meeting about the current struggles within the GOP.

* We have been successful with conservatives, and even Freedom Caucus members, but so far our issues have struggled within the Bannon-wing.
* If Roy Moore-type candidates rise, and Corker/Flake-type candidates fall within the GOP, our challenges become even greater.

A few more updates from this week:

1. Inroads with the Freedom Caucus. On the heels of our Board Meeting – where we decided to prioritize our engagement with the Freedom Caucus in hopes of doubling the number of “champions” – we held a meeting this week with Freedom Caucus Chairman, Rep. Mark Meadows.

* In an extremely productive discussion, it is no understatement to say we have a strong ally who is very willing to help us advance our engagement with his colleagues.
* We’re already following up with him to secure a meeting with the entire membership of the Freedom Caucus, which he agreed to set up. Much more to come on this front, but a great start to our strategy from our October meeting.

2. A Rising Star on the Democratic Side. On the other side of the aisle, a few of us attended a private event with Senator Kamala Harris, often named as a potential 2020 candidate.

* It was the first time I met her, and I must say I was impressed with her ability to articulate an inspiring vision for this country.
* Given that foreign policy is still new to her – but her instincts on our issues are strong – we went in hopes of securing a salon event for early next year to deepen her understanding of the issues. Got a good response.
* Our Impact 2020 campaign has begun and more outreach on both sides of the aisle to come.

3. Ongoing Discussions with Mark Green. We’ve had some very positive interactions with former board member and now USAID Administrator Mark Green in the past few weeks, giving us unique insight into the “other side” of the table, so to speak.

* One of the most interesting takeaways he has shared is his positive engagement with the NSC and specifically General McMaster. Very important and promising.
* Mark has actively been meeting with key members of the military – including combatant commanders for CENTCOM and SOUTHCOM, which is very smart as he builds his strength within the Administration.

4. The Bannon Problem Continues. The former White House chief strategist spoke at an event at the Hudson Institute earlier this week, rejecting the idea that “America First” foreign policy is isolationist, while also deriding the “geniuses in the foreign policy elite.”

* He specifically took aim at “nation building” efforts adding that “we have to build a nation called the United States of America.”
* While none of this is new for Bannon, it underscores how our issue is central to his populist platform and is likely to show up among his candidates in 2018.

5. Rand Paul Threat Fizzles (for now). As you know, the USGLC team was watching the Senate closely last week for more “Rand Paul” amendments that would have slashed the International Affairs Budget, either through the Budget Resolution or the disaster assistance bill.

* So far, so good – but Congress will take up another disaster supplemental next month, and Senator Paul was on the floor again this week alluding to another possible amendment to offset that assistance with cuts to the International Affairs Budget. Stay tuned.

Lastly, the official invitation to this year’s Tribute Dinner is out and we are thrilled by the response to honor our 180 military leaders of USGLC’s National Security Advisory Council – they are very touched and our community seems very excited to thank them for their game-changing impact this year. I truly hope you will not miss this spectacular evening and the opportunity to introduce new friends and partners to the USGLC. Thanks for all your commitment – and please be in touch with Melissa at mlieberman@usglc.org<mailto:mlieberman@usglc.org>.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC