Rep. Nita M. Lowey Holds a Hearing On the Role of Civilian and Military Agencies in the Advancement of America's Diplomatic and Development Objectives

Political Transcript Wire › September 07, 2009

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Rep. Nita M. Lowey Holds a Hearing On the Role of Civilian and Military Agencies in the Advancement of America's Diplomatic and Development Objectives

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS HOLDS A HEARING ON THE ROLE OF CIVILIAN AND MILITARY AGENCIES IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF AMERICA'S DIPLOMATIC AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

MARCH 5, 2009

SPEAKERS: REP. NITA M. LOWEY, D-N.Y. CHAIRWOMAN REP. JESSE L. JACKSON JR., D-ILL. REP. ADAM B. SCHIFF, D-CALIF. REP. STEVE ISRAEL, D-N.Y. REP. BEN CHANDLER, D-KY. REP. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, D-N.J. REP. BARBARA LEE, D-CALIF. REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM, D-MINN. REP. DAVID R. OBEY, D-WIS. EX OFFICIO

REP. KAY GRANGER, R-TEXAS RANKING MEMBER REP. MARK STEVEN KIRK, R-ILL. REP. ANDER CRENSHAW, R-FLA. REP. DENNY REHBERG, R-MONT. REP. JERRY LEWIS, R-CALIF. EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: JOHN HAMRE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

NANCY LINDBORG, PRESIDENT, MERCY CORPS, MEMBER, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

GORDON ADAMS, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

FORMER AMBASSADOR GEORGE MOOSE, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE

[*] LOWEY: The Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs will come to order.

And my ranking member, I gather, will be here any minute.

Good morning. I welcome our distinguished panel: Dr. John J. Hamre, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Ms. Nancy Lindborg, president of Mercy Corps and a recognized leader in the NGO community; Ambassador George Moose, vice chairman of the board of the United States Institute of Peace; Dr. Gordon Adams, professor of international relations at American University School of International Service.

We really look forward to hearing from you today on this very important topic.

As you probably know, I strongly believe that foreign policy decisions rest with the secretary of state as the principal adviser to the president, and this authority should neither be delegated by the Department of State nor superseded by any other department or agency in the executive branch.

With this in mind, today's hearing will examine the relationship between the civilian agencies and the military in the formulation and execution of foreign policy.

Last month, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, told an audience at Princeton University that United States foreign policy has become too militarized, end quote. I could not agree more.

I have a growing concern with how the lines of responsibility between civilian agencies and the military are increasingly blurring, with the Department of Defense playing a larger role in diplomacy and development.

I believe that in the long run this will have a detrimental effect not only on the civilian agencies -- welcome -- and America's reputation, but also on our military and, ultimately, our national security.

Now, let me state clearly that I believe the United States military is the very best in the world, and they prove every day that they are adaptive, creative, innovative and serve our country with distinction.

Yet the fact remains that if the civilian agencies are not stepping up to the plate, this does not mean that the job should fall to our overburdened military. It means that policy makers in Washington must provide support for and demand more from the civilian agencies.

Today's panel of outside experts will explore with us the militarization of foreign policy and the toll being placed on the Department of State and the Department of Defense as well as on USAID.

I would like this hearing to address several key issues. First, we have all witnesses the increased role that the military has recently played, often by necessity, in diplomacy and development, especially in insecure areas like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Operationally, what are the unintended consequences of this increased role to both diplomats, foreign assistance professionals and the efforts of the NGO community? And what is the unintended consequence to United States foreign policy and how it is viewed by our friends and adversaries?

On a practical level, what type of coordination and division of labor i...

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