House Should Follow Suit and Enact Senate Funding Level to Ensure America’s Global Leadership

Washington, DC — The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) released the following statement from Executive Director Liz Schrayer commending the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2013 allocation for the International Affairs Budget:

“I join our entire coalition in applauding the Senate for heeding the calls of America’s top military and business leaders to ensure strong funding for the International Affairs Budget.  The Senate’s FY13 allocation for these critical programs is a powerful testament that the stakes are far too high for America to retreat from its leadership in the world.  Chairman Inouye and Senators Cochran, Leahy and Graham are to be commended for their extraordinary leadership.  We urge the House to follow the Senate’s bipartisan leadership and avoid deep cuts to development and diplomacy programs.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

###