Subject: Sequestration: Now What?
From: "Liz Schrayer" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2013 09:52:00 -0600 (CST)

U.S. Global Leadership Coalition

Dear Hunter,

With
sequestration going into effect
last Friday, believe it or not, the next three weeks are going to be
even more
important to the future of the International Affairs Budget.  And
unfortunately, I will really need your
help.
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=D8jvOja8F9EYVPPCvBRXww

Several
things are converging at once - further negotiations to alter
the
sequestration; a decision about the current fiscal year since the
FY2013 Continuing
Resolution expires on March 27; and the House and Senate unveiling
their FY2014
budget proposals next week.

With
sequestration, the International Affairs Budget has already received
deep and
disproportionate cuts totaling 20% in just three years.  These
cuts impact our ability to respond to
diplomatic and humanitarian crises throughout the world.  Further
disproportionate cuts are really
concerning.

I
expect the House FY2014 budget to call for deeper cuts since Chairman
Paul Ryan
announced his plan to balance the budget in ten years (remember, his
first plan
balanced the budget in 28 years and called for a nearly 30% cut).
 The real worry, however, will be in the Senate
where the rules allow for a wide array of amendments during floor
debate.  I am
certain that we will have to fend off a number of extreme cutting
amendments,
and this is when I will really need your help. 
Please keep an eye out for action requests over the next two weeks.

In the meantime, here are a few
other items of interest:

Kerry Voices
Priorities -
I was very pleased to see that newly confirmed Secretary of
State John Kerry used his maiden speech
to stress the importance of strong U.S. diplomacy and development
programs,
saying, "No investment we make that's as small as what we
put toward foreign
policy returns such a sizeable benefit for ourselves and our fellow
citizens of
the world." I couldn't agree more, and I look forward to
working with Secretary
Kerry in amplifying this message. 

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=6-aPguKRXVMDZvwyglmtEA

Mattis Graphic.jpg
Military
Leaders on Hill - Tuesday, 20 retired Generals and Admirals
joined me on Capitol Hill for meetings
with members of Congress.  They reinforced
the message in an op-ed signed by our co-chairs entitled
"Don't Shortchange
our National Security."  After one of our meetings,
Senator Wicker (R-MS) used his time at a hearing to ask CENTCOM
Commander
General Mattis about the importance of foreign assistance. 
Mattis answered "if
you don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more
ammunition
ultimately."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=d1bsDn3BI70GAv27NkkuyA

In-District
Meetings - Thanks to our business leaders
across the country, we held a serious of impactful in-district
meetings over
the February Congressional Recess including discussions with Senators
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). 
These meetings coupled with our educational forums, such as our
recent
event at Old Dominion University in Virginia with General Osman,
reinforce the
importance of our partnership with leaders outside of Washington.
 
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=QNOM0s6lb8ZyRB8F1oiJfg

During the February recess, I traveled with our long-time board
member
CARE to visit South Sudan and Tanzania to see our food security
programs.  I had the opportunity to see the impact of our
programs, many organized by USGLC members, on creating sustainable
economic
growth, even in difficult environments. It was a very inspiring trip
and it
certainly reinforced the importance of our work for me.

Liz Schrayer
Executive Director 

P.S.-One of
our North Carolina Advisory Committee members, Jenny Fulton, testified
last
week on Capitol Hill on how her small business, Miss Jenny's
Pickles, is able
to export thanks to the International Affairs Budget. 
You'll enjoy her story.  
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=zpJpp6wLO_pTAVxETIkCZQ

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=dfy3fsiaY8rOZzwG212Gww

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