The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) hosted its annual 2024 Tribute Celebration, with a packed bipartisan crowd of nearly 800 business, military, NGO, and political leaders, including current and future Administration officials and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle—to highlight the imperative of U.S. leadership in building a better world and a stronger, more prosperous America.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and John Boozman (R-AR), and Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) were honored for their unwavering commitment to strengthening America’s development and diplomacy toolkit in order to tackle today’s most pressing global challenges.
In a fireside chat with USGLC President & CEO Liz Schrayer, the incoming Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Senator Susan Collins reflected on her time working with the late Senator John McCain. Over years of foreign travel with him from Iraq and Afghanistan to Libya and Lithuania, she witnessed the dramatic impact of American diplomacy and development programs like PEPFAR. Reflecting on their time together, Collins said, “I learned from him that soft power really mattered, that it was important to have peace through strength.”
Sen. Collins also reaffirmed her commitment to support for Ukraine, saying “Putin has made very clear that he wants to recreate the old Soviet Union. He is not going to stop if he wins with Ukraine… So, it’s not only morally the right thing to do to help Ukraine… It’s in our interest.”
During his remarks, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Congressman Gregory Meeks noted that “we no longer live in a world where we can afford to be isolated.” Sharing stories from his travels from China to South America, he highlighted the need to “work together as one, Democrats and Republicans, to get something done,” in order to confront our rivals and lift up our allies.
Rep. Meeks also highlighted the need to “put diplomacy first… Just as General Mattis famously pointed out during a hearing in Congress, if you don’t fund the State Department fully, then we need to buy more ammunition… We’ve got to make sure that the State Department and State authorization is just as important as a defense bill.”
Senator John Boozman, the incoming Chair of the Agriculture Committee, highlighted how global food systems and hunger have a direct impact on stability and national security. In a fireside chat with former Republican Senator and USGLC Board Co-Chair Norm Coleman, Senator Boozman said, “all of these things are connected, it’s what food instability does in a place like Africa or the Middle East. The Arab Spring was all about hungry people. If you’re hungry, you’re going to follow Al-Qaeda. You’re going to follow whoever is there to give you a meal and take care of your family.”
Senator Boozman also spoke to the important role America plays in combatting global food insecurity as crucial to making a difference out there in the world, and making a difference right here at home: “So America has stepped up,” he said. “We can be very, very proud of that.”
During a “gumbo diplomacy” chat with USGLC President & CEO Liz Schrayer, Ambassador Linda-Thomas Greenfield reflected on decades of foreign service as a diplomat and ambassador and the importance of kindness, conviction, and “sitting at the table” to make progress for the American people. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield praised the role of diplomacy at the United Nations in helping to secure “141 votes condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” in the face of Putin’s brutal invasion.
The Ambassador closed with a message for the next generation: “The world needs you. We need you to fix the problems that we couldn’t fix. We need you to build the bridges that we couldn’t, that we broke down, and we couldn’t repair. We need you to go out to the world and make a difference.”
This year’s Tribute celebration was co-chaired by Dr. Jenelle Krishnamoorthy of Merck, C.D. Glin of PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo Inc., and Edgar Sandoval of World Vision who all spoke passionately on stage about the critical role of public-private partnerships in tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges. And our celebration would not have been possible without their support, along with the support of our many incredible sponsors.
At this year’s Tribute, USGLC celebrated milestone anniversaries of two game-changing, cost-effective global development agencies: the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), celebrating 20 years of impact; and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), celebrating 5 years of innovation.
Launched under Republican Administrations with broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, the two agencies have become critical components of America’s global economic toolkit to ensure our nation can effectively compete around the world. Both MCC and DFC have helped modernize America’s approach to global development through promoting sustainable economic growth, combatting poverty, and investing in transformative infrastructure.
In a special pre-dinner reception, USGLC also recognized three Congressional champions receiving USGLC’s Lifetime Achievement Awards as they retire from years of distinguished service: Chairman Ben Cardin, Chair Emeritus Kay Granger, and Ranking Member Barbara Lee.
With increasing threats from America’s rivals—Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea—directly impacting gas and grocery prices and our safety and security here at home, showing up on the world stage has rarely felt more urgent. As Stephen K. Benjamin, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement said on stage, “Like each one of you, we believe that more than ever now, America’s leadership matters to us here at home.”
Or as USGLC’s Liz Schrayer put it, “When America shows up with investments in global development and diplomacy, the American people win.”
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