Friend –

Here in Washington, I could not be more proud of the hundreds of leaders who came together for USGLC’s 2023 Tribute Celebration to honor some remarkable champions of America’s global leadership – especially at this time of significant complexity and crisis on the global stage.

This year’s honorees included Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) alongside our nation’s 71st Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was honored with USGLC’s 2023 “Global Leadership Award” – watch the short highlights reel here!

For me, it was a particularly important moment – because it was so clear that when our USGLC community comes together, it is a powerful demonstration of the impact we are having in making the world a better and safer place.

Be sure to watch the highlights – and read on below for a quick recap with the latest from Capitol Hill, the Middle East, and details on, yes, another spy balloon.

More to share next week.

Best,
Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB: 🎥 Highlights from Secretary Blinken, bipartisan senators at USGLC’s Tribute Celebration 

TIME IS RUNNING OUT. With just five legislative days left in the Senate and four days in the House before lawmakers are scheduled to break for the holiday recess, the clock is running short for passing new emergency resources to confront massive global crises and conflict – and to rush urgent support to America’s allies and partners. White House Budget Director, Shalanda Young, wrote to Congress this week: “There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money – and nearly out of time.”

• As Republicans and Democrats face deadlock over differences on border security, Senate leaders brought the supplemental bill to the Senate floor on Wednesday, but the chamber failed to clear the 60-vote threshold to allow debate in what was a party-line vote underscoring the partisan fracture over border issues.
  
  
• When asked about national security emergency package at USGLC’s Tribute Celebration, Secretary Blinken stated: “I can tell you where people are who do not want to see the supplemental pass. They're sitting in offices in Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran.”
  
  
• In case you missed it, see USGLC’s latest op-ed on the urgency for the national security emergency package: “Without funding, the fight for global democracy hangs in the balance.”

CAMERON CROSSES THE POND. Former British Prime Minister and new Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Washington on Thursday discussing the emergency supplemental for Ukraine with policymakers – including with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA).

• On his meeting with the Speaker, Cameron told CNN, “I think he is committed to getting that money through and most of the people I met on the Hill yesterday support backing Ukraine because it is the right thing to do.”
  
  
• On the stakes for Ukraine, Cameron said the Ukrainian campaign “actually is… far more successful than people give them credit for” adding that “they’ve taken back half the land that Russia stole from them… They’re exporting grain again… The worst thing in the world would be to allow Putin a win in Ukraine.”

WINTER SHUTDOWN? Separate from the national security emergency package, lawmakers also face extremely tight deadlines to pass Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills and forestall a government shutdown in the new year.

• In the new year, without Congressional action, the House currently has 11 legislative days scheduled and the Senate has 19 days before a full government shutdown would hit on February 2, impacting the State Department, USAID, and other international development agencies.
  
  
• As of now, the House has passed 7 out of 12 appropriations bills – including State-Foreign Operations with a dangerous 14% cut – and the Senate has passed 3 of 12 bipartisan bills, which does not include State-Foreign Operations.

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS. After the seven-day humanitarian pause that saw the release of 105 hostages, the war between Israel and Hamas is continuing with military operations shifting further south in the Gaza strip and additional humanitarian aid moving in.

• Since October 7th, Secretary Blinken has made three trips to the region with stops in 11 countries with intense shuttle diplomacy to work to secure the release of the hostages, prevent the conflict from spreading farther, and ensure that critical humanitarian aid for civilians Gaza is significantly accelerated.
  
  
• On Tuesday in Egypt, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced an additional $21 million in U.S. humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank. That announcement built on the $100 million in humanitarian assistance announced by the Administration in October.

ANOTHER SPY BALLOON? As the national security emergency package remains stalled in the Congress –including critical resources to strengthen U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific – tensions continue to rise in the region between Beijing and Taiwan, including over the last 48 hours.

• In reports early this morning, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has said it has spotted a Chinese surveillance balloon over the Taiwan strait. Beijing has refused to comment, however, the incident follows another round of Chinese military activity in the region with Beijing deploying 26 aircraft and 10 ships, including 15 aircraft crossing the unofficial median line between the two sides.
  
  
• Meanwhile, Taiwan’s presidential elections are just over a month away. With President Tsai Ing-Wen stepping down due to term limits, the current leading candidate is Vice President Lai Ching-te from Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party.

COP GOES TO DUBAI. While the two-week COP28 conference with nearly 100,000 delegates from around the world continues until Tuesday, two of the most significant outcomes already include:

• After decades of debate on the global stage, the summit formally established a damage fund for countries impacted the hardest by the climate crisis. Multiple countries made significant commitments – including the United Arab Emirates and Germany each pledging $100 million. The U.S. has faced some criticism for its smaller initial pledge of $17.5 million.
  
  
• For the first time in nearly three decades, the global climate summit issued a declaration linking the often vicious cycle of conflict and climate change. The call to action – which was signed by more than 70 countries – stated how many of the countries “threatened or affected by fragility or conflict, or facing severe humanitarian needs, are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.”

DUMKA. The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York – who performed on Saturday Night Live two days after Russia’s invasion – closed out the tribute to Secretary Blinken at USGLC’s Tribute Celebration. WWatch their inspirational performance on USGLC’s stage.