Subject: capitol hill wasn't just about Michael Cohen this week
From: "Liz Schrayer, USGLC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 02 Mar 2019 11:29:02 -0600

I was up on Capitol Hill earlier this week as Michael Cohen was
testifying - needless to say, it was wild trying to get around
all the cameras!

What you may not have seen is the multitude of foreign policy hearings
with power voices - Secretary Madeleine Albright, former
National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, USAID Administrator Mark
Green, and many others  - testifying on the importance of
development and diplomacy.

Click here to watch the video: http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=QUV-aGYktYogrMfZxRA3SQ

This chorus of voices was amplified when 100+ USGLC coalition leaders
held meetings with nearly every freshmen member of the House and
Senate. I happened to meet with a wide array - a conservative, a
moderate, a progressive - and was very impressed. It was clear
they didn't agree on much - but all supported
America's international affairs programs. Bodes well for the
coming days.

Take a look at this week's GLOBAL GAB down below with everything
from a recap on the hearings to upcoming legislation to what to expect
when the Administration's budget proposal drops in just over a
week.

As always, let me know what you're hearing.
 
Have a great weekend,
 
Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB
March 2, 2019

HEARING BLITZ. With close to 10 bi-cameral hearings this past week on
the international agenda, there was no shortage of voices speaking out
on development and diplomacy:

*  Secretary Madeleine Alright in the House on great power
competition and threats: "The United States must develop
and execute a comprehensive strategy to counter Russia and
China's anti-democratic campaigns... It means
investing in diplomacy and development to check authoritarian
influence."
 
*  USAID Administrator Mark Green testified before House
appropriators: "I'm really worried about providing
service in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis settings...
That is the single most important challenge."
 
*  Bush 43 National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee: "Many Americans are ready to
pass the torch to someone else. The problem sadly is that there
is no one else... America's continued global
leadership cannot be taken for granted. But isolationism and
retreat do not work."
 
*  More voices: Former Deputy Sec. State Bill Burns: "The
window for defining America's pivotal role will not stay
open forever"; Former USAID chief Andrew Natsios:
"Since World War II, U.S. foreign aid programs have played
a leading role in improving the livelihoods of the world's
poor"; Former NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen: "If
the U.S. retrenches, it leaves a vacuum filled by the bad
guys."
 
*  And check out the hearing titles: Clearly foreign policy is
getting attention in the new Congress: "Assessing the Role
of the United States in the World", "Rise of
Authoritarianism Around the World", "America's
Global Leadership: Why Development and Diplomacy Matter",
and "The Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela and U.S. Policy
Responses".

MATTIS LEGACY. Capturing the recent testimony of America's
regional combatant commanders, Joe Gould at Defense News writes how
these active duty leaders - from CENTCOM to SOUTHCOM to AFRICROM
- continue to argue that "U.S. foreign policy cannot
thrive on military might alone, and that a full State Department
budget is vital to national security."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=kKQeMG4rqfocTlSbO6sA_g

*  Next SecDef: Retired Lieutenant Colonel Greg Ballard and former
Indy mayor weighs in on the search for a next Secretary of
Defense in the Washington Examiner.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=tQNrfMW6eZoBOaU2ElOgBg

CRISIS WATCH. There's no lack of crises around the world -
here's the latest on the top hot spots:

*  India-Pakistan conflict: With no U.S. ambassador to Pakistan in
place, Rafia Zakaria speaks out on CNN.com that "this lack
of high-level diplomatic appointees able to manage the complex
situation adds to the inertia and silence on the US end."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=SylOi9ufYrVEO8tGsrOb3Q

*  Venezuela spirals: Mercy Corps' regional director for the
Americas, Provash Budden, writes that "it's time to
treat Venezuela like a protracted refugee crisis."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2oOBu_pTj23m1J28SmbU_g

*  Stopping Ebola: Secretary John Kerry writes in USA Today that
"reports of Ebola's demise were greatly
exaggerated... The trajectory is eerily reminiscent of the
early months of the 2014 crisis. We can stop it. But we
won't succeed if we don't demand American leadership
from start to finish."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=qQGu1SfCf4ElyW98pAMWEA

FRAGILITY FOCUS. A renewed focus on fragility and prevention was in
full force on Capitol Hill with 9/11 Commission Co-Chairs joining
other luminaries to release a report from the U.S. Institute of Peace
calling for a new "comprehensive preventative strategy"
stating: "As long as extremism spreads around the globe, our
nation will remain vulnerable to terrorist attacks and our competitors
can exploit these conditions to weaken U.S. security and our global
leadership."

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Sjzs0MCn_XwUznjPGAqsLA

*  Joining the launch: Senators Graham and Coons alongside House
Foreign Affairs Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul. Look
for new legislation on fragility to drop next week.

GROUNDHOG BUDGET? The Administration is anticipated to release its
Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal during the week of March 11th. What
to expect: A third-time-in-a-row disproportionate cut to the
International Affairs Budget followed by significant bipartisan push
back from both chambers on Capitol Hill.

WAR ON CHILDREN. Save the Children reports that "Almost one
fifth of children worldwide are now living in areas affected by armed
conflict." See the new paper - which says the urgent issue
"demands a committed response" from policymakers to tackle
the crisis of children living in conflict.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=prIiiTLEGbI50fUL3MeGzQ

AMERICAN LEGION. Headlining a panel at the annual American Legion
Washington Conference, Governor Tom Ridge shared the stage with Lt.
General Kip Ward and CNN commentator Alice Stewart. The former
Homeland Security chief told the all-veteran audience:
"It's in America's best interest to be more engaged
in the world, not less."

MCCAIN LEGACY. This past week, Senate Human Rights Caucus co-chairs
Senators Coons and Tillis introduced a resolution to establish a John
S. McCain III Human Rights Commission, modeled after the Tom Lantos
Human Rights Commission in the House. Joining the announcement,

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=ykFymw8WekxtRbLCeSw7TQ

Senators Merkley, Markey, Rubio, and Sinema along with Cindy McCain.

PEACE CORPS WEEK. Meet volunteer superstar Lizzie Heilmann -
originally from Pennsylvania, now a community health worker in Zambia.
The USGLC team met her recently in the rural village of Mfuwe and in
this blog, she shares how she has had to dispel rumors that most
American homes don't actually have piles and piles of cash!

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=kGj6XHJUr0QrVdmCjaN48g

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