Reinvesting in Global Engagement & Diplomacy

Over the past year, the U.S.’s global engagement has been dramatically reduced:

USAID shut down and most aid programs cancelled—over 90% of awards and nearly 10,000 staff laid off .
State Department lost 1,300+ positions, including Foreign Service officers, shrinking global expertise .
Pro-democracy and humanitarian programs gutted, threatening health and security in fragile regions .
Foreign aid slashed from >0.3% of GDP to near-historic lows (~0.03%) .

This loss weakens American influence, undermines humanitarian aid, and erodes staff capacity.

Our Reinvestment Blueprint

1️⃣ Restore USAID as a standalone agency

Rehire essential foreign service officers and program managers.
Re-launch critical efforts (malaria, global health security, hunger relief).
Set statutory budget floors—e.g., minimum 0.3% of GDP for international affairs .

2️⃣ Rebuild diplomatic capacity & professional development

Reverse the 15% workforce cuts and restore 1,300+ positions ().
Invest in training for Foreign Service officers—language, regional expertise, crisis response.
Fund fellowships and leadership pathways for public servants and international partners.

3️⃣ Align aid with strategy and accountability

Establish an annual Foreign Engagement Scorecard publicly tracking metrics: health outcomes, NGO partnerships, diplomat retention, crisis response times.
Host a Global Strategy Summit every two years to set shared goals with allied governments, multilateral agencies, and NGOs.

4️⃣ Prioritize smart, strategic investments

Recommit to global health (e.g., PEPFAR, nutrition programs), education, climate adaptation, and democracy-building.
Use soft-power tools—international scholarships, exchange programs, research collaboration—to build durable partnerships.
Tie aid to mutual accountability: partner governments commit to reforms and transparent standards.

How You Can Act Now

Write Congress urging restoration of USAID as independent and a return to ≥ 0.3% of GDP for foreign aid.
Nominate or apply for fellowships and advisory roles in diplomacy or USAID programming.
Support think tanks and citizen platforms that monitor foreign aid progress (e.g., CSIS, InterAction, Devex).
Share the story: highlight how diplomacy saves lives, fights disease, builds peace, and opens markets for American businesses.

Why It Matters to You

Global disease control (e.g., malaria response in DRC) protects American families at home ().
Partnerships advance shared challenges—climate, migration, security—helping reduce crises overseas before they reach our border.
U.S. leadership builds peace, opens markets for U.S. businesses, and promotes democratic values globally.

Call to Action

Let’s lead again—for global well-being and national security.

“American leadership abroad starts with real investment—people, power, purpose.”