The Hill: Diplomacy and foreign aid are pillars of American global leadership
Dan Glickman, executive director of the congressional program at the Aspen Institute and senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center

“…I hope President Trump will consider and appreciate the immense strategic and security value of foreign assistance. … [D]evelopment assistance and diplomacy are … strategic pillars of American global leadership. Like three legs of a stool, our national strength rests upon our military might, our diplomatic ingenuity, and our commitment to the economic development, health, and stability of the world. Effective foreign assistance and diplomacy are keys to American global leadership. … USAID deserves to stand on its own, not be subsumed into the State Department where it will be minimized. The impact it makes relative to the percent of the federal budget is transformational. … Foreign assistance limits the spread or eradicates dangerous diseases, stabilizes regions vulnerable to famine and political instability thus preventing humanitarian and refugee crisis, spurs innovation, and creates consumers eager to purchase American products around the world. … [W]ith effective oversight, the system works well. Swallowing USAID into the State Department will minimize its role and jeopardize future American-led successes on the global stage” (5/15).