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American Opportunity/Free Congress Foundation works everyday to bring about policy changes for the United States. As reflected on our webpage, our emphasis is a change in national direction to emphasize economic growth, more national wealth, and a better life for working Americans.
In foreign policy, American Opportunity/FCF rejects many of the old approaches to American Foreign policy in favor of Conservative Internationalism as described by Dr. Henry Nau of George Washington University. This policy maintains American sovereignty by furthering American interests through diplomacy backed up by national power.
American Opportunity/FCF has been researching, informing, educating and advocating for decades and on these specific issues since 2010. As such, we are active on behalf on our supporters, readers and donors who want to positively affect the policy of our country but cannot participate full time -- as we can at our Foundation.
As such, this newsletter reports on policy participation in Washington D.C. by James Gilmore, President and CEO over the past thirty days:
On March 26, 2018, Gilmore attended by invitation a presentation at the Center for the National Interest on U.S.-Russian relations following the Russian elections. This meeting took place shortly after the expulsion of Russian diplomats following the poison attack in the United Kingdom.
The panel discussion inquired as to the likelihood of a major Russian/U.S. conflict in the near future. The panelists believed such a conflict was very possible, if not likely.
The source of such tension was discussed, with Gilmore mentioning the conquest of Crimea, the invasion of East Ukraine, Russian military exercises, principally in Europe. However Gilmore expressed his belief that a serious military conflict was not likely.
On April 17, 2018, Gilmore was present at the U.S. Supreme Court and participated in a press conference regarding the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc (2018).
Gilmore participated in an amicus brief with former Rep. Chris Cox -- author of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. As Chairman of the Congressional Advisory Commission, Gilmore recommended that commercial sales over the internet not be subject to taxation by states where the internet seller does not reside. The U.S. Supreme Court was also asked to overturn its prior opinion in Quill v. North Dakota, which prohibited remote taxation of the internet.
On April 18, 2018, Gilmore attended a meeting at the Council on Foreign Relations. The presentation was made by Amr El-Garhy, Minister of Finance for the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Tarek Amer, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt.
These officials discussed the political changes that overthrew the dictatorship, and also the radical islamist government. The emphasized the intention to address the challenges Egypt faces of youth unemployment, and scaling back an unaffordable subsidy system in favor of a social safety net. They stated that “employment is the best form of social justice” with a goal to restore confidence in foreign investors and to achieve a 5.2% GDP growth rate.
On April 19, 2018 Gilmore attended a presentation by the Foreign Minister of the German Federal Republic who presented Germany’s priorities. Germany’s goals are a stronger European Union, a strong and essential Atlantic relationship, especially with the United States, and a concern with German workers being “left behind”.
On a one-on-one conversation, Gilmore mentioned to the foreign minister that trade imbalances threatened the jobs and livelihood of American workers, especially in the industrial Midwest of the U.S.
On April 24, 2018, Gilmore attended by invitation a presentation at the U. S. Chamber of Commerce of the new Defense and Aerospace Export Council (DAEC). Presentations were made by Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House National Trade Council.
Additional presentations were made by representatives of the Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce, regarding export of American products and technology to other countries, while maintaining the American defense industrial base.
On April 25, 2018, Gilmore participated in a round table discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations on U.S.Budget Policy and National Security. Most of the attendees represented a more liberal point of view, and were decidedly negative toward the recent Trump tax reform act, though mostly due to political sentiment. Gilmore pointed out that the new tax reform package is intended to grow the economy, and thus create more jobs and revenue.
On April 26, 2018 attended a panel presentation at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of foreign Affairs, on the proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Aramco Corporation of Saudi Arabia. The discussion centered on the global implications of oil and energy policy, and the positive effect of the recent American advancement in energy production.
More after the jump. . .
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