State of the Union March 2018
Note from the President: Bitter sweet news out of the State Department. For those of us passionate about the International Affairs Budget, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been a major disappointment. During his brief time at the State Department, more than 60 percent of the organization’s top personnel have left the agency. Imagine if 60 percent of the military’s 4-star General’s left the military in one year! Needless to say, I’m personally glad his tenure is over. But what’s next? This is where things get interesting.
The President’s new pick Mike Pompeo would not be my first choice for Secretary of State… or my 800th. During his time in Congress, Pompeo did little to advocate for the world’s poor and the International Affairs Budget. We’ll get a better sense of his views during his confirmation hearing, but keep in mind that Congress holds all of the power when it comes to funding the programs we care about. Your work is more important than ever! Last year we saw the President’s proposed 30 percent cuts to the International Affairs Budget get shot down in Congress. Emails, mobilizing others to email and in-district Congressional meetings are crucial right now for keeping the pressure on Members of Congress and preventing cuts to programs that help the world’s poor.
~ Clint Borgen
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Secretary of State
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[one_half]The President has announced via Twitter the departure of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been nominated by the President to be Mr. Tillerson’s successor.[/one_half]
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Watch Secretary of State Tillerson’s Press Briefing regarding the transition here. Mr. Tillerson’s commission as Secretary of State will terminate at midnight on March 31st. During this transition period, all responsibilities have been delegated to Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan.
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Below is the full press release from the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce.
Chairman Royce Statement on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement after the president announced the departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson:
“Rex Tillerson has served our country with great energy and determination. He is a good man, a thoughtful leader and a business titan. Thanks to his diplomatic efforts, we have charted a new course to counter the full range of threats from Iran and apply maximum pressure on Kim Jong Un. I wish Rex well and look forward to working with our next Secretary of State. There are many serious challenges ahead.”
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Political Updates
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Lobbying Efforts
- Total # of Lobbying Meetings in February: 103
- Total # of Lobbying Meetings in 2018: 147
- Lobbying Meetings Goal for 2018: 560
Advocacy Emails
- Number of Advocacy Emails in February: 4,937
- Advocacy Emails Goal for 2018: 100,000
- % of Congress Emailed in February: 73%
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Congressional Office Meetings
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Political Affairs Team member Abby Jones met with Representative Marcia Fudge (D – OH 11th). Representative Fudge held a Town Hall meeting and Abby was able to hold an impromptu meeting with her about the International Affairs Budget.
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Advocate Kishan Venkataramu met with Representative Ro Khanna (D – CA 17th).
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Political Affairs Team member Sehej Singh met with Representative Zoe Lofgren (D – CA 19th) and discussed the International Affairs Budget.
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Warren’s Address
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Listen to the latest from Warren about the goings-on in D.C.
Here’s the link to the World Poverty Clock Infographic: http://www.worldpoverty.io/[hr]
Content Team Updates
Here are the Top 10 Articles for February on BORGEN Magazine. Because of the power of SEO, many articles receiving the most views each month were actually written 2-3 years ago.
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HR Team Updates
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The Borgen Project only hires 7% of intern applicants so it goes without saying that strong recruitment is incredibly important for making sure we have the numbers to select the best. There is a 98% increase in applicants – February 2017 vs. February 2018.
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Recognition
Congratulations to the following team members that have achieved Borgen Project Honors & Recognition in February.
- Bird-dog Award: Caysi Simpson, Political Affairs Team.
- Capital Achievement Award (raised $2,000 or more): Sydney Lacey, Content Team (March 2018).
- Chief Closer Award (raised $1,000 or more): Jaymie Greenway, Content Team and Sydney Lacey, Content Team.
Visit the Our Team Members page and read about success stories with our organization.
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Getting the Word Out
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The Borgen Project in Newsweek
The Borgen Project was mentioned in a Newsweek piece about poverty conditions in North Korea – People in North Korea Are Starving While Kim Jong Un’s Sister Travels in Luxury.
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Letters to the Editor
Alexander Chaves, PR/Marketing Team, in morningdt.com – Why Congressional Support for Foreign Aid Matters.
Courtney Hambrecht, Content Team, in The Virginia Gazette – Second Chance for Taylor, Second Chance for Budgets
Cassidy Caudill, Political Affairs Team, in TheHeraldBulletin.com – Letter: More U.S. funds should go to foreign aid.
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Pets for The Borgen Project
Content Team member Natasha Komen held a Pug Party fundraiser!
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YouTube
Here are the latest videos made by our in-office team. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos on The Borgen Project YouTube channel. Watch, like, and share!
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