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Hunter-


Watching the images coming out of Texas over the last few days,
I'm reminded how grateful we are for the generosity of our
fellow citizens and the bravery of our nation's first responders
- whether it be in response to an earthquake in Haiti, a tsunami
in Indonesia, or these days, the horrific floods in Houston and
Louisiana - I know you join me in thoughts and prayers for those
impacted.


As for the USGLC team, we're headed back to D.C. after non-stop
travel around the country during the congressional August recess. As
members of Congress visited with their constituents, we were honored
to host them at in-district meetings and wildly successful statewide
forums with big crowds anxious to talk about America's role in
the world - look forward to sharing a recap soon.


See this edition of the GLOBAL GAB, including how "smart
power" tools fit into the president's Afghanistan strategy
and what to expect when Congress returns next week.

Best,

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB
August 30, 2017


AFGHAN SMART POWER. While the Administration's new strategy
announced last week was largely focused on a modest military surge in
Afghanistan, the president included a reference to non-military tools
in his address: "Another fundamental pillar of our new strategy
is the integration of all instruments of American power -
diplomatic, economic, and military - toward a successful
outcome."

-- The integration of the "3Ds" - development,
diplomacy, and defense - has long been a cornerstone of
Secretary of Defense Mattis' national security mantra - so
it was nice to hear a POTUS shout-out.


-- It's worth noting that the speech carried a few
contradictions: the brief references to economic tools was largely
around sanctions - and as former Ambassador Nick Burns said, the
speech offered "scant attention to diplomacy and
diplomats" and "will take more than generals to
succeed."

BOMBS VS. BOOKS? The day after the president's speech, Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson set up a stark contrast to Appropriations
leader Senator Lindsey Graham at an unusual press conference.
Explaining the new Afghan strategy, America's chief diplomat
said: "We may be taking different approaches and not putting so
much of the U.S. taxpayer dollars on the ground building
schools." The Capitol Hill reaction will be telling after the
recess, because Senator Graham never misses an opportunity to remind
Americans that "building a small schoolhouse for a young girl in
Afghanistan" will do more to combat terrorism "than any
bomb you could drop."


VETERAN VIEWS. Speech reactions from two combat-tested leaders who
know better than most what it takes to win on the battlefield:

-- Special operations sniper turned congressman, Representative Scott
Taylor (R-VA), told Morning Joe: "I understand... the
Administration's desire to look at the State Department and not
waste money, but at the same time, you have to have diplomacy.
It's a crucial element of our foreign policy, and... a tool in
our tool bag, so I would not like to see it cut as it was spoken about
initially by the Administration."


-- Retired Army officer, John Nagl, who literally wrote the field
manual on counterinsurgency alongside General Petraeus and Secretary
Mattis: "When fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq... I was hobbled by a
lack of diplomatic expertise; we soldiers conducted diplomacy because
there were not enough State Department officers to go around. The
situation is far worse today."

EGYPT EXIT? The Administration has just taken a bold step to
prioritize human rights and democracy in Egypt by withholding close to
$300 million in aid. The country's failure to make progress on
human rights and its punitive relationship with NGOs has long been a
controversy and point of tension in the U.S.-Egypt relationship.


ENVOY COUNT. With just a few more weeks until the Administration
finalizes their initial "redesign" effort to restructure
key parts of the State Department and USAID, Secretary Tillerson just
sent the first round of his plans to Congress - an overhaul of
the large number of special envoys. At least 30 positions would be
scrapped (e.g. the envoy on Syria); others would be kept (e.g. the
Global Women's Issues and Counterterrorism posts); some
transferred to USAID (e.g. the Global Food Security Coordinator); and
many integrated into other areas of the State Department. Senate
Foreign Relations Chairman Corker quickly chimed in with praise for
the secretary's plan.


BUDGET SNAFU. A new report by POLITICO reveals concerns from Capitol
Hill that the State Department could take the rare step of
"deliberately not spending all the money Congress gives
it" when it comes to diplomatic and development programs. Given
that Congress controls the purse strings, we could witness a rare
public battle between the Administration and Capitol Hill. Important
to watch.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=7GF0Ay4WwS14a9fj7tPaow


GREEN LIGHT. In his first press conference as the USAID Administrator,
Mark Green told reporters: "I believe philosophically the
purpose of foreign assistance is to end the need for its
existence." Green is already in Sudan this week pushing the
government to expand humanitarian access for food and aid - a
critical issue in the conflict-torn country - and he also met
directly with displaced families. He's off to Ethiopia next to
visit Feed the Future and PEPFAR program sites. A smart start.


THE GENERALS. After coming under fire from the isolationist alt-right
camp and former White House advisor Steve Bannon over the past few
months, the Afghanistan strategy and speech appeared as a win for the
generals - Mattis, Kelly, and McMaster - among the White
House inner circle, with an important vote of confidence for McMaster,
the National Security Advisor. Together, the new strategy signals that
the decorated general and his well-regarded deputy, Dina Powell, had
won this battle when it comes to America's global engagement.


OCTOBER OR BUST. As Congress returns to Washington next Tuesday, they
will have 12 working days to pass a spending bill and avert a
government shutdown when the fiscal year ends on September 30th. With
many uncertainties, including for spending on the International
Affairs Budget, expect a two to three month stop-gap measure to pass
near the end of month just to keep the government running while
Congress negotiates a broader budget deal.


HEARTLAND HEROES. The voices of top USGLC state leaders are popping up
throughout the August Congressional recess:

-- The head of the Indiana Pacers and former UN World Food Program
chief, Jim Morris, alongside the former Indiana Republican Party
Chair, Jeff Cardwell, make the case to Hoosiers in the Indy Star on
why "now more than ever before... the world needs American
leadership, compassion, and generosity."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=MyMhfm0TVEABFaUiDssFTg


-- In the Kansas City Star, U.S. Army veteran Bob Bennett and former
National Security Council staffer Jamie Metzl remind Missourians how
"Our state benefits enormously when America engages with the
world and would suffer if we were to shrink from it."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=qaTZiHMBcXh3vcBc84V3eg


-- The Chairwomen of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, Sheryl
Wohlford, tells the Wichita Eagle: "When America leads, Kansas
wins."
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ikfTXKrOQ6wvj63vU7Q8yQ

THE FINALISTS. The State Department announced its five finalists for
this year's P3 Impact Award. Among the top contenders: the
Accenture and Upwardly Global Partnership, a CARE-Cargill partnership,
and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women for their innovative public-private
partnership programs.


MOSQUITO WARS. After a decade of fighting malaria, Bill Gates tells
Americans: "While we're still decades away from wiping
malaria off the map for good, one thing is clear: the mosquito has met
its match."
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=eMRWx8o2ANKvxhPcyDKXug


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