Panelists Underscore Need for Strong and Effective U.S. Leadership in the Developing World

Tampa, Florida – IRI, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), and ONE hosted a panel discussion during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida to highlight U.S. leadership in international development.  The premier foreign policy event at the Convention, The U.S. Role in International Development – Legacy and Future, featured two panels of prominent policymakers and opinion leaders who discussed the foreign policy legacy of past Republican administrations and addressed the future of US foreign policy.

“We need to continue to believe as a nation that every life is worthy . . .  as we want to see not just a more economically healthy world, but also a more democratic one,” said Former Secretary of State, ONE Board Member and USGLC Advisory Council member Condoleezza Rice, who was joined onstage by Josh Bolten, former White House Chief of Staff and also a member of ONE’s Board of Directors.

The panel also included Michael Gerson, ONE Senior Fellow and former Chief Presidential Speechwriter; The Honorable Kay Granger (TX), U.S. House of Representatives and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors; and Constance Berry Newman, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, former U. S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator for Africa, and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors.

Kay Granger explained that it is “our job to educate people that foreign assistance is less than 1% of the federal budget and use that money effectively so that it’s sustainable,” even during difficult economic times.

The second panel looked at the future of international development policy and was moderated by KT McFarland, National Security Analyst with FOX News and included Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH); Ambassador Richard S. Williamson, Foreign Policy Advisor on the Romney for President campaign and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors; Mitchell Reiss, Foreign Policy Advisor on the Romney for President campaign; and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Foreign Policy Advisor on the Romney for President campaign.

“The things President Bush did in Africa not only reflected our values, but created stronger relationships there,” said Senator Kelly Ayotte.