Friend –
As summer travel comes to a close and Congress returns to Washington, I wanted to share a quick post-Labor Day sneak peak of what I’m watching on the global stage – and how it will impact America as we head into the mid-terms.
But first, it’s a sad week as the world mourns and pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II – who in fact was the most-traveled British monarch. She visited more than 110 countries and journeyed more than a million miles representing the United Kingdom, reminding all of us of the purpose and power of global citizenship. Certainly, this is part of why citizens across the globe feel such a loss at her passing. I agree with Fareed Zakaria who called out the Queen’s sense of duty, humility, and uniting presence.
Read my update down below, including insights into the new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss’ views on foreign aid, what to expect at UNGA, and growing global concerns – floods, drought, famine, resource battles, and more. But also see the impressive update from USGLC’s Heartland Summit last week with nearly 40 governors and mayors speaking out on why leading globally matters locally – and the launch of our new farmers network.
As always, I welcome your thoughts, including any highlights from your summer reading or travel. I’ll admit, my highlight was a visit from my granddaughter and a trip to the Minnesota State Fair, where I was amazed at how many different foods can be fried and put on a stick. Perhaps the world would be a better place if everyone had a fried Twinkie 😊.
Look forward to hearing from you on any of the topics below.
Best,
Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC
THE GLOBAL GAB
September 9, 2022
GLOBAL CRISES CONVERGE
As Ukraine mounts a new counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion, the war and its global shockwaves are now passing the six-month mark and new humanitarian crises are escalating by the day. Meanwhile, the inbox for policymakers and window of time for action is incredibly tight with an end-of-month fiscal deadline just around the corner (more on the budget further down below). Here’s the latest on the global threats:
- SOMALIA SPIRALS. With 90% of Somalia’s wheat imports sourced from Russia and Ukraine before the war, it was hoped that the several dozen ships leaving Ukraine would be enough to help the country that has seen drought impact 80% of its geography. Yet, according to a just released UN report, two areas of Somalia could reach famine levels of hunger between October and December – it’s the first time that famine will have reached this scale since 2011.
- PAKISTAN FLOODS. With floodwaters covering close to a third of the geography of the world’s fifth most populous country, more than 33 million Pakistanis have been affected in a crisis that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called “a climate disaster of biblical proportions.” The U.S. is the largest humanitarian donor to the country, the U.S. military is now helping with logistics, and USAID deployed one of its elite DART teams last week to help drive the humanitarian response.
- AFGHANISTAN. As the one-year mark just passed since America’s military withdrawal from the country, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate with nearly half the population facing food insecurity. A report from last month in Foreign Policy underscores how much more still needs to be done to help tens of thousands of Afghan allies find safety.
- LATEST COVID TOLL. As COVID vaccination efforts stall in low-income countries – with dwindling global resources – the world has now marked the millionth death from COVID-19 in 2022. USAID’s COVID-19 lead Jeremy Konyndyk recently told a conference hosted by the UPS Foundation: “If low-income countries could have vaccinated on the same timeline as high-income countries… there's a very good chance we would have prevented Omicron.”
- GLOBAL ECONOMY. The IMF’s latest forecast projects that global economic output for 2022 will slow from 6.1% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 – an additional decrease from their previous projection. The current forecast for 2023’s global economic output is not any rosier at 2.9%.
HEARTLAND SPEAKS OUT
Back in the U.S., the USGLC hosted its Heartland Summit last week – in partnership with our Heartland Chair, Cargill – reaching more than 212,000 viewers across all of USGLC’s platforms with live simultaneous in-person audience events in Minnesota, Indiana, and Kansas.
- GOVERNORS AND MAYORS. Covering 12 states throughout the region, nearly 40 mayors and governors issued proclamations marking U.S. Heartland Global Leadership Day – representing more than 45 million citizens, or 1 in 7 Americans – and speaking out about the importance of America’s global leadership and why leading globally matters locally to our security, our jobs, and economy.
- The impressive roster of 8 bipartisan Governors issuing proclamations included Minnesota’s Tim Walz, Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, Ohio’s Mike DeWine, Wisconsin’s Tony Evers, Missouri’s Mike Parson, and Indiana’s Eric Holcomb.
- Participants at the Summit’s Wichita location were honored to welcome Kansas Governor Laura Kelly who made a live cameo to issue her Heartland Global Leadership proclamation.
- Mayors from dozens of communities also issued global leadership proclamations – including Bloomington, Lincoln, Sioux City, Gary, Lansing, Green Bay, Toledo, Minnetonka, and many more – lifting up the local economic to global stories.
- FARMERS FOR PROSPERITY. The USGLC launched its newest signature advocacy initiative – Farmers for Prosperity – in partnership with Cargill and Land O’Lakes. In this inaugural phase, more than 200 farmers from three initial states – Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota – have already joined the network!
- Watch this brief video here with Heartland farmers sharing their stories on why they are speaking out on global hunger and global engagement – it’s all about preventing a “hangry” world, as one farmer says.
- BIPARTISAN LEADERS. On the Summit stage in Minnetonka, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) shared why “Every person in the Pentagon that I speak to… says I don’t want to buy more bullets. I want more diplomacy. I want more development. I want more aid.” In Wichita, Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS) spoke out on why he supported the recent aid package to Ukraine, stating “It is without question in our national security interest to make sure that we are successful in Ukraine.”
- If you missed tuning in live for the Heartland Summit, you can watch the impressive 3 sessions here:
UK’S LIZ TRUSS AND FOREIGN POLICY
As the world mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth, we took a look at the third female Prime Minister to lead one of America’s top allies – and previously serving as the U.K.’s Foreign Secretary since 2021. Liz Truss has staked her foreign policy vision for the U.K. as building a “network of liberty” in a world of growing authoritarian regimes. Here’s a quick snapshot on her record and comments on global diplomacy and development issues:
- UKRAINE. Truss has been hawkish and outspoken on the war in Ukraine, calling support for the eastern European ally a “strategic imperative.” She has been one of the strongest Western leaders in stating that “Putin must lose in Ukraine” and that Russian forces must be pushed out of the “the whole of Ukraine.” Ukraine was a topic of her first call with President Biden on Tuesday.
- BREXIT. In recent years, Truss switched sides on the Brexit debate opposing the separation from the European Union before Brexit passed, and then reversing her position to become “one of its most ardent backers.” CFR’s Richard Haass commented that Truss’ election “increases the odds the UK will distance itself more” from the EU.
- FOREIGN AID. On the hotly debated topic of Britain’s foreign aid budget, The Economist reports that she “resisted pressure to pledge to cut foreign aid” during the campaign. Yet at an August debate, she was asked directly whether she would “cut foreign aid” and she said she would “keep it as it is” – which some foreign policy watchers saw as a reinforcement of the dramatic cuts in recent years slashing U.K. development programs from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%, which were championed by her campaign opponent Rishi Sunak. Something to watch.
- GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT. At the same time, the British Member of Parliament who chairs the international development committee, Sarah Champion, has called into question whether Truss’ development priorities as Foreign Secretary were more focused on “poverty reduction” or “more about trade deals.” Yet in an unexpected announcement late Tuesday night – that was welcomed by the U.K. NGO community – the new British government created the position of minister for development – to be held by Vicky Ford – who will attend Cabinet meetings and just reaffirmed at a G20 meeting the “UK commitment to getting SDGs back on track.”
BUDGET WATCH
As the end of the federal fiscal year nears, the number of legislative days to pass next year’s federal budget are short – with strong and important proposals for the International Affairs Budget from the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate stalled until a larger spending deal is negotiated.
- LOOMING FISCAL DEADLINE. Most budget watchers anticipate Congress will pass a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government open through the midterm elections. While this would importantly avoid a government shutdown, it would also freeze core funding levels for several months – including for U.S. diplomacy, development, and global health programs – which experts have long warned are inadequate given the state of global needs and crises.
- NEW WHITE HOUSE PROPOSAL. In anticipation of a CR, the White House issued a new emergency supplemental request to Congress late last week – including an important proposal for additional global resources to support the Ukrainian people, boost the global response to COVID-19, and combat the global spread of monkeypox. The USGLC welcomed this new proposal and is urging quick action by Congress – see the full statement here.
- NEXT BUDGET. Negotiations for next year’s budget continue with Senate Appropriators releasing their proposal this summer – largely in line with the Administration and House at a 15% increase. The USGLC praised the proposal. For the full analysis and comparison, see the report here.
2024 HOPEFULS
While none of the top Republican hopefuls for president have officially declared their candidacies, some have been speaking out about the importance of international engagement, diplomacy, and development issues in recent days:
- MIKE PENCE. In one of his most significant speeches since leaving the White House, the former Vice President spoke out over the summer about the Ukraine war stating that “Putin must stop, or Putin will pay” adding that the U.S. needs to “isolate Russia until peace is restored for the good people of Ukraine.” Pence is one of the only 2024 GOP hopefuls to have traveled to the region since Russia invaded earlier this year.
- MIKE POMPEO. In an interview last week with Agri-Pulse, the former Secretary of State said global food security was at the “top of the list for all of us senior leaders at the State Department” and that the issue is “deeply connected to American national security.” Pompeo also called out the role of USAID for its role in “assisting nations around the world with some of their most significant food security challenges.”
OTHER ITEMS TO WATCH
- UNGA77. The Olympics of Diplomacy at the 77th UN General Assembly will truly be back in action after two years of COVID disruptions and virtual events, drawing attention to the SDGs and the multitude of humanitarian and development challenges around the world. These issues will be punctuated at the major convenings outside the UN, including Concordia, Goalkeepers, and the Global Citizen Festival – plus the Clinton Global Initiative is returning for the first time since 2016. Importantly, the United States is hosting two high-profile global summits:
- Global Food Security Summit – Convening world leaders from the global north and south, the donor community, NGOs, and the private sector in the global fight against hunger, the White House is reportedly planning a marquee Summit in New York during the week of high-level UNGA meetings – with anticipation that President Joe Biden may headline the event. More details soon.
- “Democracy Delivers” – USGLC is partnering with USAID on a flagship event on the importance of strengthening and building resilient democratic societies – and how the private sector is a critical partner. Secretary Tony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power are both currently slated for the event on the afternoon of September 20th.
- TECH SUMMIT. Next week, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Deputy Security Wendy Sherman, Secretary Henry Kissinger, and former Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt headline the Global Emerging Technology Conference, hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project. For an update on how technology, diplomacy, and national security are converging – and why it’s critical the U.S. steps up our game – see USGLC’s recent blog post.
- GLOBAL FUND. Hosted by the United States in New York, world leaders will convene on September 18-19 for the 7th replenishment conference of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Global health leaders are rallying the world to “mobilize $18 billion to save 20 million lives” as the Fund marks 20 years since its founding.
