Pictured : Liz Schrayer
USGLC IN PHILLY . We capped our US- GLC convention week with an all-star discussion on the global challenges on the horizon with Secretary Albright ; Ambassadors Bill Burns and Wendy Sherman ; congressional champions Senator Jeanne Shaheen ( NH ) and Representative Ted Deutch ( FL ); and Laura Rosenberger , a former senior State Department official who was representing the campaign ’ s perspective – all alongside our friends at the National Democratic Institute and 400 leaders from around the world .
TOP QUOTE . “ Nothing works if the United States is not involved … As Secretary of State , I so believed in the importance of American engagement … does not mean that we are the sole policeman of the world .” – Secretary Madeleine Albright
PARTY ESSENTIALS . On Monday , delegates officially ratified their party platform , including “ We believe the smart use of diplomacy , development , and economic statecraft can prevent crises , foster stability , and make us safer .” Get our full foreign policy download on the final Democratic Platform .
POLL TESTED . A new CNN / ORC poll once again ranks voters ’ concerns about foreign policy and terrorism as the second most important set of issues . The economy remains at the top , but has fallen in recent months – not surprising given the Brussels , Nice , and Orlando attacks . Might be why congressional candidates in both parties are showing renewed interest in our foreign policy briefings . Expect more focus than usual on national security at this fall ’ s presidential and senatorial debates .
ZIKA IN AMERICA . Four new Zika cases were reported yesterday in Miami – and experts believe this to be the first transmission of the virus by mosquitos within the continental U . S . With partisan politics already boiling over on the unfinished domestic and international Zika response package , hopefully cooler heads will prevail when Congress returns after Labor Day .
FRIENDLY FIRE ? As the debate on NATO continues following Donald Trump ’ s remarks last week on conditioning American support to our allies , Senator John McCain fired back saying : “ Strong allies are now , and always
have been , vital to America ’ s national security . We must continue to fight alongside our friends abroad to [ keep ] Americans safe from harm .”
RESULTS ARE IN . America ’ s food security program – Feed the Future – just released their latest progress report and the results are powerful : In 2015 alone , 18 million young children saw significant improvements in nutrition and more than 9 million farmers were empowered with new tools and technology . Impressive .
SPEAKING OUT . In a sit-down with NPR on poverty and politics , Speaker Paul Ryan channeled his mentor , the late Jack Kemp who embraced the fight against global poverty . Doubling down on American engagement in the world , Ryan said , “ If we want to have good jobs and faster wage growth , we have to make more things in America and sell them overseas , because 96 percent of the world ’ s consumers are not in our country .” Spot on from the Speaker . iF Magazine | www . iFMagazine . net 13