It is once again budget day here at the Department of State, and I'm pleased to present the highlights of the President's request for what we affectionately refer to as the 150 or International Affairs function. I will then be even more pleased to turn you all over to Anne Richard, the Director of our Office of Resources, Plans and Policy. Anne has just returned from briefing our friends and others on Capitol Hill and is looking forward to answering your hardest questions. I will have that same opportunity to answer questions this week in testimony before three different congressional committees. On this occasion, I will make the case that this budget provides good value for America.
Diplomacy is our nation's first line of defense.
When we succeed, we make it less likely that our armed forces will be called upon to fight, more likely that our workers and businesses will benefit from open markets, less likely that our citizens will be harmed by international terror, and more likely that our children will grow up in a world that is peaceful and prosperous, healthy and free. As I have said before, the entire array of international programs only consume about one penny out of every federal dollar we spend, but that one percent may be responsible for 50 percent of the history that is written about our era, and it makes a difference in the lives of 100 percent of the American people. Without reciting the numbers which you have, let me highlight very briefly some of the priorities in this budget. First, President Clinton is making good on his commitment to assist President Pastrana's Plan Colombia. I focus on this because securing and strengthening democracy around the world is not just a question of good civics or high-minded values, it is a strategic imperative.