On national security, I trust Gen. Petraeus, not Dick Morris

Just two weeks ago, General David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill about our progress in Afghanistan. When asked about the importance of the International Affairs Budget, he said, “I am concerned that levels of funding for our State Department and USAID partners will not sufficiently enable them to build on the hard-fought security achievements of our men and women in uniform. Inadequate resourcing of our civilian partners could, in fact, jeopardize accomplishment of the overall mission.”

When it comes to issues of national security, who are you going to trust? General Petraeus or Mr. Morris.  

The case for protecting the investment we make in our civilian tools of foreign policy doesn’t just come from the military, though. This week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 3 million American businesses, wrote to Members of Congress, making clear that the International Affairs Budget opens new markets to American goods and services, which helps our domestic economy grow and creates jobs here at home.  

In its letter, the Chamber writes, “The International Affairs Budget is critical to U.S. economic engagement with the world, especially at a time when there is a wide recognition of the need to boost U.S. exports to create American jobs.” They continue to say now more than ever, “America must utilize all of the tools and resources it has to strengthen U.S. national interests and ensure global competitiveness.”

All of these benefits, both to our security and our economy, come from a tiny investment in the International Affairs Budget. Contrary to popular perception, the United States spends just over one percent of our budget on all of these programs that deliver results at a very low cost to the American taxpayer. 

As with all federal spending, however, we need to ensure our dollars are going toward programs that are both effective and transparent. Reforms underway by the current administration in our development and diplomatic operations, building on those begun under the last, do just that. Better systems for monitoring and evaluation and accountability of our resources further demonstrate the value of the International Affairs Budget.   

Mr. Morris seems to argue for devastating cuts to our national security and economic prosperity because that might give one party political advantage. He disregards the broad, bipartisan consensus, ranging from military leaders to the business community to faith-based and non-governmental organizations, that the International Affairs Budget is more than a bargaining chip: it is an effective, efficient investment in our safety and economic growth.   

Admiral James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.), was the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard from 1998 to 2002, and deputy secretary of Homeland Security from 2003-2005. He is a co-chairman of the National Security Advisory Council of U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.