Full funding for International Affairs Budget crucial to American priorities

In late July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a $100 million-plus plan for American investment in the Indo-Pacific region, in close coordination with regional allies Australia and Japan. This significant commitment to American engagement is good news for the U.S. and Western interests in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions — particularly as China continues to grow its influence.

The world and the United States have changed quite a bit in the 21st century. Despite what news headlines say about global chaos, danger and disruption, implying that the U.S. is more isolated than ever, the opposite is true.

American interests are more closely aligned with the rest of the world than ever, creating both historic opportunities and also unprecedented risks for our national security and economy. Keeping America secure requires serious investment in all of our foreign policy tools — diplomacy, development and defense.

America’s extraordinary military power enables our diplomacy. As a major general with the U.S. Army, I saw firsthand the impact of our diplomacy and development programs around the globe.

After retiring from the Army at the Pentagon, I went to Kabul, Afghanistan, as a senior mentor to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. I advised that country’s senior leadership on national security policy and nationwide logistics strategy in close coordination with diplomats and aid officers.

Strong civilian-military partnerships deliver enduring results abroad. And diplomatic engagement builds critical relationships that prevent combat. My experience is not unique, and that’s why I have joined 1,200 veterans in urging congressional leaders to protect funding for the U.S. State Department, American diplomacy and foreign assistance programs.

Pompeo described the plan for American investment in the Indo-Pacific region as “a down payment on a new era in U.S. economic commitment to peace and prosperity.” I couldn’t agree more. Now is the right time to use tried-and-true American foreign assistance programs to forge relationships with the emerging economies and the billions of consumers who will soon move into the middle class.

If we don’t, we will only surrender the field to China. Their trillion-dollar “Belt and Road” infrastructure scheme, for example, will cost more than seven times what we spent on the Marshall Plan. China, however, has leveraged its program to force emerging economies into crippling debt and offered relief in exchange for control of strategic assets — like ports in Sri Lanka and Djibouti — at the expense of American interests.

American foreign assistance programs have delivered a huge return on investment. After the Korean War, America stabilized South Korea. That assistance developed a vibrant economy and turned that nation into a critical security partner and America’s seventh largest export market, purchasing $60 billion of U.S. products annually. Further, South Korean companies have invested nearly $40 billion in the United States and created thousands of American jobs.

Where America does not actively invest in economic stability, chaos can ensue. If America and our allies fail to step up in developing regions, we will pay heavily. In the Indo-Pacific region, for example, emerging countries can join the U.S.-led Western order of freedom, capitalism, growth and human rights — or be co-opted into China’s own economic agenda.

Without a strong American diplomatic presence, we cannot expect the world to be as friendly to our interests. Diplomacy and development are a sustainable, cost-effective solution to conflict. For that reason, I am proud to support the International Affairs Budget and urge Kansas’ representatives in Congress to ensure it remains well funded.