Mr. Speaker also a good listener

May 27th, 2010 3:44 PM UTC
By Libby Crimmings

Last night, fellow ONE member Ambassador Chuck Larson and I got a chance to briefly talk to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at an event in Des Moines, IA. We got to thank him for his support of vaccine programs that save lives and fight the spread of global disease, when he spoke in New Hampshire in 2006. We also thanked him for talking to a group of 100 students in DC for ONE’s Power 100 summit in 2008 about advocacy and the importance of a “good neighbor policy” for the US. “There is NO reason we can’t drown poverty in opportunity” Mr. Gingrich said during that speech.

Ambassador Larson then spoke about his experiences in Iraq with the hundreds of humanitarian missions he was a part of and the direct impact these had on reducing the threat level. “It’s about preventative measures; making sure a fragile state does not become a failed state,” said Ambassador Larson. We asked Mr. Gingrich if he supported investments in smart power, development and diplomacy programs, as a key to our national security strategy, he said “absolutely.”

I gave Mr. Gingrich a ONE band, which he immediately put on his wrist, and snapped a photo.

ONE has a strong history of being truly bi-partisan and we are very proud of the supporters we have on both sides of the aisle. We know that in order to get things done and move forward in the fight against extreme poverty we must come together as ONE. We thank Mr. Gingrich for his support and look forward to working with him in the future.

TAGS: From ONE Members, Iowa