Hearing of the House Oversight Government Reform Committee's National Security Foreign Affairs Subcommittee - (Part II):Security in a Post 9/11 World
Statement
Hearing of the House Oversight Government Reform Committee's National Security Foreign Affairs Subcommittee - (Part II):Security in a Post 9/11 World
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REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM (D-MN): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I won't take all five because I'm hoping maybe we'll have an opportunity for robust questions.
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for your kind words and let you know that it's been an honor to serve as a member of the Smart Power Commission, along with our House colleague Mac Thornberry, who's here with us today.
And I want to publicly thank our witnesses today, Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye, for their leadership as co-chairs of the commission.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies took the challenge of exploring America's current standing in the world and how to put forward a concrete recommendation to restore America's leadership using all the tools in our strategic and foreign policy toolbox.
I want to stress again, this study looked at America's standing in the world and what we need to do to change America's standing in the world to where it was only a few short years ago -- one of respect, one of hope, one of optimism. We are the world's largest military power. We are the world's greatest military power. We are the world's greatest economic power. Yet in January 2009, the next president who will be leading our nation will face tremendous challenges in this world.
The world community wants U.S. leadership, not unilateral power where we dictate and expect other countries to yield to our policies. The smart power report makes recommendations for America's re- engagement in the world using our capacity to improve lives, and by doing so we create security and inspire hope. In short, again, we must use our power to once again become the world that America -- in which America is admired, a world in which America once again is respected and wanted as a partner.
Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues in Congress will take this report seriously. Next year, as we commence looking at the fiscal year 2009 the new president will inherit, I hope these recommendations are carefully considered in the future by this Congress, and I thank you so much again for having this hearing, but including the smart power report as part of it.
With that, I yield.
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REP. MCCOLLUM: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
One of the smart powers recommendations that I'd like to highlight and I also strongly endorse is the creation of a Cabinet- level department of international development to bring an integrated, coherent strategy and structure to our foreign assistance.
In light of what we've seen happen, where there was very little oversight input from the Congress, I would like you, gentlemen, to elaborate on your recommendation of why you think this is a smart use of power. And I would just add I think the VOA, Voice of America, and some of the programming that is being cut over there probably might not be looked at being cut if we had a Cabinet-level where we're looking at an integrated approach.
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