American leadership has proven to be a beacon for oppressed peoples, and it must continue to shine. Diplomacy is the First Line of Defense America's military capacity is, clearly, a vital part of U.S. foreign policy, and it must be sufficient to assure our protection and meet our global obligations. Diplomacy and military readiness compliment each other, and military spending must be accompanied by appropriate funding of diplomatic readiness. The best tools to achieve our foreign policy objectives and protect our national security are people working together to solve problems before they become violent crises requiring employment of U.S. military assets. If the tools of diplomacy are short-changed, the risk of having to put our armed forces in harm's way increases.
Preventive diplomacy can reduce the risk of body bags being returned to America.
In spite of its extraordinary wealth, America's ability to lead through diplomacy is at risk. Funding for non-military foreign affairs has become critically low and riddled with massive budget cuts in the face of expanding demands and opportunities. Our diplomatic corps, exchange programs, arms control agents, and humanitarian, development and environmental assistance programs simply cannot meet their obligations. Insecure and decrepit facilities, obsolete information technology, outmoded administrative and human resources practices, poor allocation of resources, and competition from the private sector for talented staff threaten to cripple our nation's overseas capability, with far reaching consequences for national security and prosperity. The severe lack of budgetary resources has been a major cause of this decline.