May 22, 2017
WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, 225 business leaders from across the U.S. joined together in a letter to urge Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support a strong budget for the State Department and USAID as critical to our economy and American jobs.
The leaders represent a strong showing of Fortune 500 companies, along with small and medium-size businesses from over 30 states that understand the importance of the global marketplace. More than 80 of Chambers of Commerce from around the country also joined the letter representing thousands more companies.
“The bang we get for this small 1% of the federal budget is unmatched. When the State Department and USAID have the resources they need to create stable and growing markets for American goods – it’s truly an American jobs program,” said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative operating businesses in dairy, feed, crop inputs and sustainability, in addition to a 501c3 international development non-profit organization.
Recognizing that 95% of the world’s consumers live outside of the U.S., the business leaders wrote to the former business icon – now Secretary Tillerson – reinforcing the powerful role the State Department and USAID plays in advancing America’s economic interests abroad and supporting jobs here at home.
Reminding the Secretary, they wrote: “America’s diplomats and development experts help build and open new markets for U.S. exports by doing what only government can do: fight corruption, strengthen the rule of law, and promote host country leadership to create the enabling environment for private investment.”
The letter calls for support for a “strong International Affairs Budget” – the budget for the State Department and America’s global development agencies – and was sent just a day prior to the Administration’s release of their full Fiscal Year 2018 Budget. In March, the Administration’s “skinny budget” proposal called for a 31% cut to the State Department and USAID.
“We depend on robust American engagement overseas to strengthen our state’s economy here in Wisconsin. This small 1% of our federal budget for the State Department and USAID has an outsize impact on creating jobs and making our country safer,” said Saul Newton, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce.
The letter’s signers represent major U.S. companies – including Walmart, Coca-Cola, Nike, Land O’Lakes, Cargill, Loews, UPS, Kellogg, DuPont, Microsoft, Mars, General Electric, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble, and Marriott alongside dozens of local Chambers of Commerce and businesses across the country from the agriculture, manufacturing, technology, retail, tourism, food, energy, and health industries.
Download the letter here. Full text is below.
May 22, 2017
Secretary Rex Tillerson
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
Dear Secretary Tillerson,
As business leaders, we are writing to voice our strong belief in the return on investment from the U.S. International Affairs Budget in advancing America’s economic interests overseas and supporting jobs at home.
With 95 percent of the world’s consumers outside the United States and many of the fastest growing economies in the developing world, now is the time to double down on America’s global economic leadership. America’s diplomats and development experts help build and open new markets for U.S. exports by doing what only government can do: fight corruption, strengthen the rule of law, and promote host country leadership to create the enabling environment for private investment. Our country’s investments have generated impressive results: eleven of America’s top fifteen export markets are in countries that have been recipients of U.S. foreign assistance.
Strategic investments in diplomacy and development make America safer and more prosperous. American companies depend on robust U.S. engagement overseas, especially in the fast growing markets in the developing world. Our embassies and consulates around the world are essential partners for American businesses to ensure we can compete on a level playing field. Trade promotion programs have helped drive American exports, which today make up almost 13 percent of America’s $18 trillion economy and support about one in five American jobs.
The State Department and USAID are increasingly partnering with American businesses to catalyze and leverage private sector expertise and resources to create sustainable solutions at scale on a range of challenges such as energy, health, and agriculture. And today, host countries themselves are driving policy changes to compete for American investments. Moreover, America’s global economic leadership also embodies our country’s values – promoting economic freedom, prosperity, and entrepreneurship that can mitigate the drivers of violent extremism in the world today. In today’s global economy, we have a significant opportunity to strengthen the State Department, USAID, and our development agencies and the capacity to partner with the private sector to address global challenges and to expand opportunity.
We are committed to working with you in your role as Secretary of State to share our perspectives on the importance of U.S. international affairs programs to boost our exports abroad and our jobs here at home, and we urge your support for a strong International Affairs Budget for Fiscal Year 2018.
Respectfully,
Chris Policinski
President and CEO
Land O’Lakes
Andrew Tisch
Co-Chairman
Loews Corporation
David MacLennan
Chairman and CEO
Cargill
Sarah Thorn
Senior Director, Global Government Affairs
Walmart
Caroline Roan
Vice President, Corporate Responsibility
Pfizer, Inc.
President
Pfizer Foundation
Kate Rumbaugh
Vice President, Government Relations
The Coca-Cola Company
John Murphy
Senior Vice President for International Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Jim Collins
Executive Vice President
DuPont
Brad Figel
Vice President Public Affairs North America
Mars, Inc.
Connie Justice
President
Planson International
Paul Neureiter
Executive Director for International Government Affairs
AMGEN
Kathryn Reilly
Global Director Public Affairs
Aon
Tara Hogan Charles
Associate Director, Global Government Relations
Procter & Gamble
H. C. Shin
Executive Vice President, International Operations
3M
Michael Boyle
CEO
Boyle Energy Services & Technology
Bill Lane
Chair Emeritus
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Jeff Rowe
President of Global Seeds and North America
Syngenta
Philip de Leon
Director, Public Affairs & International Business
AGCO Corporation
Hugh Welsh
President
DSM Nutrition
Peter Tichansky
President
Business Council for International Understanding
Doug Galen
CEO
RippleWorks
David Wilhelm
Partner & Chief Strategy Officer
Hecate Energy
Pamela Venzke
Global Government Affairs & Policy
General Electric
Florizelle Liser
President & CEO
Corporate Council on Africa
Kathryn D. Karol
Vice President, Global Government & Corporate Affairs
Caterpillar Inc.
Dan Gaynor
Global Communications
Nike
Kevin Kolevar
Vice President, Global Government Affairs
The Dow Chemical Company
Laura Lane
President, Global Public Affairs
UPS
Melissa Froehlich-Flood
Vice President, Government Affairs
Marriott
Gary M. Cohen
Executive Vice President and President
Global Health and Development BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
Lisa Malloy
Senior Director, Global Policy Group
Intel Corporation
Kris Charles
Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs
Kellogg
Ambassador Richard Holwill
Vice President, Public Policy
Amway
Jeffrey N. Simmons
President
Elanco Animal Health
Tom Halverson
CEO
CoBank
Ken Fletcher
CAO
Pike Enterprises
Peter M. Robinson
President & CEO
United States Council for International Business
Karl Jensen
Senior Vice President, National Governments
CH2M
Ward Brehm
Founder, Chairman
The Brehm Group
Chris Keuleman
Vice President, Global Government Relations
International Paper
Frederick S. Humphies, Jr.
Corporate Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs
Microsoft Corporation
Dave Adkisson
President & CEO
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Joseph Albert
Owner
Eli H. Albert Agency
Diane Alleva Caceres
Principal
Market Access International, Inc.
Luis Arguello
President & CEO
DemeTECH
Jeremy Arthur
President & CEO
Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama
Connie Bacon
Commissioner
Port of Tacoma
Doug Badger
Executive Director
Pacific Northwest International Trade Association
Travis Barnes
President & Founder
Hotel Tango Artisan Distillery
Gene Barr
President & CEO
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Kurt R. Bauer
President & CEO
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
Lane Beattie
President & CEO
Salt Lake Chamber
Jon Bennett
Vice-President of Business Development
Catalyze Dallas
Thomas Bentley
Owner & Chairman of the Board
Bentley World Packaging
John Bernloehr
President
Consolidated Metal Products, Inc.
Carl Blackstone
President & CEO
Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Silvia Bonilla
Director, Small Business Development Center
Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Antonio Boyd
President
Think Tank Consulting Group, LLC
Tony Braida
Vice President
Bankers Trust Global Banking
Becky Brooks
President & Executive Director
Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce
Kelly Brough
President & CEO
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Cindy Brown
President
Chippewa Valley Bean
John Bruntz
President & CEO
The Boulder Company
Anne Burkett
Executive Director
North Alabama International Trade Association
Bob Burleson
President
Florida Transportation Builders Association
Jay Byers
President & CEO
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Steve Cain
President
Triangle North Carolina British American Business Council
William Canary
President & CEO
Business Council of Alabama
Ben Cannatti
Executive Director
Main Street Jobs Coalition
John Casper
President & CEO
Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce
Kip Cheroutes
President
Japan-U.S. Network, Inc.
Lalit Chordia
President & Founder
Thar Tech
Gil Cisneros
Chairman & CEO
Chamber of the Americas
Jay Clemens
President & CEO
Associated Oregon Industries
Jonathan Coffin
Vice President
VOX Global
Harvey Cohen
President
KZB, Inc.
Todd Connor
CEO
Bunker Labs
Caralynn Nowinski Collens
CEO
UI LABS
Alfonso Cornejo
President
Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA
Bill Cronin
President & CEO
Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc.
Joe Crookham
President
Musco Lighting
Maryann Crush
Manager
South Boston Transit Systems, LLC
Dan Culhane
President & CEO
Ames Chamber of Commerce
Yuri Cunza
President & CEO
Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Eric Dallimore
Owner
Leon Gallery
Sarah Davasher-Wisdom
COO
Greater Louisville, Inc.
Daniel Davis
President & CEO
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
Richard Dayoub
President & CEO
Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce
Ryan Deckert
President
Oregon Business Association
Connor Deering
President
Cemen Tech, Inc.
Dustin DeVries
Co-Founder, Technology Consultant
Caffeine Interactive Technologies
Brian Dicken
Vice President of Advocacy & Public Policy
Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
Billie Dragoo
Founder & CEO
RepuCare
Steve Dust
President & CEO
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber
Barry DuVal
CEO
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Lauri Elliott
Chairman & Executive Director
Afribiz Group, Inc.
Jason Espinoza
President
New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry
Joe E. Evans
Owner
Evtex Companies
Keith Evans
President
Key Financial Insurance Agency, Inc.
Teresa Faidley
Senior Vice President
Schaumburg Bank & Trust Company N.A.
Terry Fankhauser
Executive Vice President
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
Ronald J. Finlayson
CEO
E-Systems Corporation
Beverly Flaten
Vice President of International & Domestic Marketing
JM Grain
Henry Florsheim
President & CEO
Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce
Michael Ford
Chairman
Mid-Atlantic District Export Council
Nathan Frampton
President
Fanimation
Stephanie Freeman
President & CEO
Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber
Jenny Fulton
Founder
Miss Jenny’s Pickles
David Gessel
Executive Vice President
Utah Hospital Association
Matt Glazer
Executive Director
Austin Young Chamber of Commerce
Howard Glicken
Founder, Chairman & CEO
The Americas Group
Neel Gonuguntla
President
US India Chamber Of Commerce DFW
Dean Gorder
Executive Director
North Dakota Trade Office
Terry Grant
President, Utah Market
KeyBank
Trey Grayson
President & CEO
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Keith Guller
CEO
Essex Industries
Dan Haley
President & CEO
Colorado Oil & Gas Association
David Hart
Executive Vice President
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Chris Henney
President
Ohio Agribusiness Association
Aaron Hermsen
Director of Business Development
China Iowa Group
Dave Hofferbert
President
Bond Technologies, Inc.
Gregory Hopkins
Partner & President
Solitude Wealth Management
Kevin Hougen
President & CEO
Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Galen Hull
President
Hull International
Thomas Hulseman
Managing Director
Metro Chicago Exports
Mark Ingrao
President & CEO
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
Bob Jameson
President & CEO
Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau
Andrea Jett Fletcher
Executive Director
French-American Chamber of Commerce
John Kalaras
CEO
Quality Training Institute
Jeffrey B. Kendall
President
JBK Integrated Solutions, LLC
Robert Kill
President & CEO
Enterprise Minnesota
Joseph Kirk
Executive Director
Mon Valley Progress Council
Wally Kocemba
Chairman & CFO
Calhoun Companies
Katie Kruger
CEO
Denver Metro Commercial Association of REALTORS
Matt Krupp
Co-Owner
Desantis Krupp, LLC
Kitty Kurth
President
Kurth Lampe
Emily Lane
Vice President of Sales
Calendar Islands Maine Lobster
Craig Lang
President
The Prairie Strategy Group
Lloyd Le Page
President & CEO
Heartland Global, Inc.
Kirk Leeds
CEO
Iowa Soybean Association
Donna Lindquist
President
Soleil Global Communications
Lou Ann Lineham
President
Linehan Associates, LLC
Doug Loon
President
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Kevin Lutz
President
Armstrong Printery, Inc.
Kevon Makell
Founder & CEO
Seww Energy
Dr. Toby Malichi
Founder, Global Chief Executive, and Ambassador of Trade
Malichi Group Worldwide
Ron Marston
President & CEO
HCCA International
Frances Martinez
Founder & CEO
North Shore Latino Business Association, Inc.
Nick Mastronardi
Founder & CEO
POLCO
Jason Mathis
Executive Director
Downtown Alliance
Robert Mayes
CEO
Keel Point
Eddie McBride
President & CEO
Lubbock Chamber of Commerce
Sandi McDonough
President & CEO
Portland Business Alliance
Candace McGraw
CEO
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Larry McQueary
COO
Indy Fuel
Daniel McVety
President
Japan China Carolina
J. Patrick Michaels
Founder, Chairman & CEO
CEA Group
David Milton
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Payless ShoeSource
Mortada Mohamed
Executive Director
Texas International Business Council
Aneezal Mohamed
General Counsel, Compliance Officer & Secretary
Commercial Vehicle Group
Beau Morrow
Owner
Left Hand Design
Wilfred Muskens
President & CEO
Stevens & Lee
Ron Ness
President
North Dakota Petroleum Council
Saul Newton
Executive Director
Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce
Laura Ortega
Executive Director, International Business Council
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Ersal Ozdemir
President & CEO
Keystone Corporation
Jerry Pacheco
President
Border Industrial Association
Jim Page
President & CEO
Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama
Richard Paullin
Executive Director
The International Trade Association of Greater Chicago
Raymond Pilcher
President
Raven Ridge Resources
Heather Potters
Chief Business Development Officer
PharmaJet, Inc.
Ramiro Prudencio
President & CEO
Burson-Marsteller Latin America
Robert Quick
President & CEO
Commerce Lexington
Laurie Radke
President
Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Rona Rahlf
President & CEO
Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce
Brooks Raiford
President & CEO
North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA)
Michael Ralston
President
Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Bede Ramcharan
President & CEO
Indatatech
Olga Ramundo
President
Express Travel
Josh Rawitch
Senior Vice President, Communications
Arizona Diamondbacks
Joe Reagan
President & CEO
St. Louis Regional Chamber
Jeff Reigle
President & CEO
Regal Ware, Inc.
Gene Reineke
CEO
Hawthorne Strategy Group
John Reinhart
CEO & Executive Director
Port of Virginia
Colin Renk
Executive Director
America China Society of Indiana
Sandra Renner
CEO
FasTrack Global Expansion Solutions, Inc.
Jim Roche
President
Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
Bob Rohrlack
President & CEO
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
Robert Rotondo
President
Rotondo Enterprises, Inc.
Jack Roy
Owner
Jax Enterprises
David Rudd
Partner
Ballard Spahr, LLP
Rebecca Ryan
Founder
Next Generation Consulting
Mel Sanderson
Vice President of International Affairs
Freeport McMoRan, Inc.
Lydia Sarson
Executive Director
German American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia
Joe Savarise
Executive Director
Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association
Chris Saxman
Executive Director
Virginia FREE
David Schaffert
CEO
Olympia Thurston County Chamber of Commerce
Dean Schieve
President
Victus Motion and DMD Consulting
Michael Schmitt
Executive Director
America-Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago
Bret Scholtes
President & CEO
Omega Protein Corporation
Ralph Schulz
President
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Mike Shanley
Founder & CEO
Konektid International
Stephanie Simpson
Vice President
Texas Association of Manufacturers
Bill Sisson
President & CEO
Mobile Chamber of Commerce
Nathan Slonaker
President
Columbus International Affairs Opportunity
Jim Spadaccini
CEO & Creative Director
Ideum
Bruce Steinberg
President
Relyco
Michael Strange
President
Bassett Ice Cream
Carol Stymiest
President
Canadian Business Association of North Carolina
Greg Summerhays
President & CEO
Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce
David Taylor
President
Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association
Christian Thwaites
Chief Strategist
Brouwer & Janachowski
Jon Troen
President & CEO
Mittera Group
Brett Vassey
President & CEO
Virginia Manufacturers Association
Liane Ventura
Senior Vice President
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Chad Vorthmann
Executive Vice President
Colorado Farm Bureau
Chris Wallace
President
Texas Association of Business
Jeff Wasden
President
Colorado Business Roundtable
Joyce Waugh
President & CEO
Roanoke Chamber of Commerce
Cherod Webber
President & CEO
Innovative Global Supply,LLC
Ed Webb
President & CEO
World Trade Center Kentucky
Deborah Wilkinson
President
Wilkinson Global Connections
Sheryl Wohlford
Owner
Automation-Plus
Richard Yang
President
Carolinas Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Steven Zylstra
President & CEO
Arizona Technology Council
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