Richard G. Lugar, Statesman of the Senate: Crafting Foreign Policy from Capitol Hill

7 Fixing Foreign Aid

7 Fixing Foreign Aid I WhenRichardLugardeliveredamajorforeignpolicyaddressatthe National Defense University a few weeks before the 2008 presidential election, his remarks attracted attention for the balanced way he discussed the agendas of the two presidential candidates—Barack Obama and John McCain. He applauded McCain’s hard-nosed assessment of the world’s problems but also credited Obama for his willingness to launch diplomatic initiatives toward nations that the United States was at odds with such as Iran and North Korea. With the presidential campaign in high gear, some Republicans grumbled that Lugar did not hit Obama hard enough. Many Democrats were quietly pleased that Lugar seemed to consider the foreign policy credentials of both candidates on equal footing. The central theme of Lugar’s speech, however, was lost by the partisan politics of the moment. It was that the United States urgently needed to get its foreign policy back on track and this required both advancing large and creative ideas and paying careful attention to the mechanics of implementing these policies. America’s foreign policy, he told the group, had become too reactive in recent years, as it got bogged down in real and rhetorical battles with Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, and other nations. Lugar warned that if U.S. foreign policy attention is constantly consumed by crises with hostile regimes, x Richard G. Lugar, Statesman of the Senate 122 it loses the initiative and limits its capacity to lead the world in constructive ways. While it would be wrong, he acknowledged, to ignore threatsfromcountrieslikeNorthKoreaandIran,Americanpolicymakers shouldn’t allow their concerns with these regimes to “shorten our strategichorizon,militarizeourforeignpolicy,unjustifiablyconcentrate our resources, or rob us of our strategic initiative.”1 If the United States is to remain secure and prosperous, it must shape the diplomatic and economic conditions in the world, regaining the strategic initiative, he argued. This in turn requires both large and compelling ideas and careful attention to the “fundamental building blocks of U.S. foreign policy.” These building blocks include strong alliances , solid trade relationships, well-functioning embassies, reliable intelligence, broad humanitarian contacts, effective treaty regimes, and a positive reputation abroad. “If this preparation has been neglected no amount of charisma, bravado, or diplomatic skill by the commander in chief and the national security team will make up the deficit. Attending to the building blocks of national leverage not only increases our opportunities for foreign policy success, it decreases the chances that we may be cornered in a position where military force becomes necessary ,” he said.2 Lugar, in his long Senate career, has championed consequential policies related to energy, non-proliferation, global food production, arms control, and adherence to international law. But he has also been a relentless advocate for paying attention to the basics of foreign policy and ensuring that good policy is delivered on the ground. Relatively few lawmakers take much interest in the plumbing of American foreign policy. It is not glamorous work, but it’s important to the success of foreign policy. II When assessing U.S. national security programs, analysts often divide them into three broad categories: defense, diplomacy, and development . Most defense programs are managed by the Department of Defense and represent by far the largest portion of national security expenditures. Diplomacy refers primarily to the programs run by the Fixing Foreign Aid 123 State Department. Development is the effort by the United States to help other nations improve their economies and health care and education systems and to respond to humanitarian needs. Many of these programs are funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development , but dozens of other federal agencies are also involved. With his three decades on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , Lugar has been primarily focused on diplomacy and development. He has been a champion of America’s diplomats, pushing to make sure they are adequately funded, trained, and supported. And he has been a strong, but not uncritical, advocate of the nation’s foreign assistance programs.UnlikesomeRepublicanswhoareadamantlyopposedtoforeign aid, Lugar believes that these programs, when carefully developed and well managed, can benefit the United States and the nations that receive American assistance. He has disagreed fundamentally with the view of one prominent Republican, Senator Jesse Helms, who charged thatforeignassistanceislittlemorethan“throwingmoneydownforeign rat holes.”3 Lugar believes the U.S. government has been too inclined to look at its national security structure from the narrow perspective of each of these three categories and not...