International Affairs Cuts Impact America’s Ability to meet Global Challenges

 Washington, DC — The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition released the following statement on the House and Senate Budget Resolutions from its Co-Presidents, Caterpillar International Governmental Affairs Director Bill Lane and Save the Children President and CEO Carolyn Miles:

“While we fully recognize the difficult fiscal environment our country is in, we urge Congress not to shortchange our national and economic security with deep cuts to the International Affairs Budget.  Over the past few years, the disproportionate cuts shouldered by our civilian tools of global engagement leave our nation vulnerable given the global challenges we face.

“Unfortunately, the House and Senate levels for the FY 2014 International Affairs Budget lay out very different views on how we address these global challenges.  We are particularly concerned with the deep cuts in the House Budget resolution, which if enacted would mean that one of every four dollars of base funding for the International Affairs Budget was cut just in the past four years.

“Our International affairs programs are a critical part of our national security, preventing conflicts before they occur and require military response.  Just last week, the head of U.S. Central Command, General James Mattis, told Senators, ‘If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.’

“We support the Senate’s International Affairs proposal, which includes urgent funding needed to address not only hotspots in the world from the Middle East to North Africa, but also ensures we are advancing America’s economic interests in today’s globalized economy.  As the process continues, we look forward to working with both the House and the Senate to ensure we have the resources needed to protect our national security, keep our economy growing, and demonstrate our values in the world.”

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. 

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