International Focus Magazine Vol. 3, #10 | Page 41

4. Committee Leadership
Shifts with Key Retire-
As one Republican Senate candidate said ments, Returning Friends
lives than spend more money later and
lose lives. You will not have to worry
about my vote.” China and their growing investments in
the developing world.
3. Foreign Aid Not An
Issue, Candidates
Receptive in a meeting, “These are issues which
align with my core beliefs… both a
strong military and engagement on hu-
manitarian needs are critical parts of an
American global leadership strategy.”
NON-ISSUE. Following the trend of
most election cycles, foreign assistance
largely remained out of the spotlight and
was rarely mentioned throughout the
vast majority of the 2018 campaign. In
reviewing thousands of campaign ads,
only one candidate – who lost in the
primary – specifically mentioned cutting
foreign assistance
CARAVAN FOCUS. As the migra-
tion debate surged in October on the
campaign trail, the president called for
cutting foreign assistance to Central
America. While this was quickly coun-
tered by leading Members of Congress
– like Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) –
congressional candidates were surprised
to learn that only 0.00035% of our fed-
eral budget addresses the Northern Tri-
angle.
CANDIDATES RECEPTIVE. De-
spite some candidates’ limited knowledge
of global development, we encountered a
broad openness to how effective U.S. for-
eign assistance can be an important tool
in advancing America’s interests, espe-
cially given the global competition from
POLICY PLATFORMS. The US-
GLC also analyzed the web sites of can-
didates in the open and most competitive
races this cycle and found that just about
half of major party candidates featured a
formal foreign policy or national secu-
rity platform as an issue section. None
advocated for foreign assistance cuts and
close to a dozen House candidates men-
tioned America’s civilian toolkit includ-
ing diplomacy and global development
programs.
Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-UT),
who has said he wants to join the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee and speak
out on the importance of America’s role
abroad, stated in his campaign platform:
“We must promote our values of free-
dom and free enterprise through our
diplomacy, economic ties, alliances and
other soft power tools.” Representative-
elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), a former
Navy fighter pilot, stated “cuts to the
State Department prevent us from deal-
ing with developing international crises.”
DEPARTING CHAMPIONS. As
the 115th Congress comes to a close, key
foreign policy luminaries – including
Chairmen Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ed
Royce (R-CA) – are retiring and leaving
big shoes to fill. Others champions leav-
ing Congress include Senator Jeff Flake
(R-AZ), House Appropriations Chair-
man Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ),
Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Tim
Walz (D-MN), and many others.
MUSICAL CHAIRS. With leadership
and committee contests now on the ho-
rizon, there will be plenty of drama in
the House. Long-time champion State-
Foreign Operations Appropriations lead-
er Nita Lowey (D-NY) is expected to
take the gavel of the full Committee, and
Ranking Member Elliot Engel (D-NY)
will lead the way on Foreign Affairs.
Familiar faces are also in the mix vying
for the ranking member seats on House
Appropriations and Foreign Affairs, and
the biggest upper chamber move – at the
moment – is Senator Jim Risch (R-ID),
who is expected to take the helm of the
Foreign Relations Committee.
~ Continued next page
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