Four score and one year ago, Senator Arthur Vandenberg stood in Congress and delivered his “Speech Heard Round the World,” a bold vision for the future of American foreign policy that emphasized U.S. sovereignty, robust alliances, and a strong national defense to advance American interests and values around the world. He argued it was through maintaining a strategic, muscular global presence that we could best protect the security, freedom, and prosperity of Americans from external threats. Seventy-six years later – and five years ago this week — a small band of patriotic Americans came together to fight for these same principles. On April 28, 2021, we officially launched The Vandenberg Coalition, and we are proud to have walked alongside each of you in the footsteps of our namesake for these last five years.

In many ways, what we hoped to bring to Washington was that long forgotten principle: Nuance. Like Senator Vandenberg, The Vandenberg Coalition understands the intrinsic appeal of isolationism but recognizes that “our oceans have ceased to be moats which automatically protect our ramparts.” We believe the purpose of American foreign policy is to advance our sovereign interests, but that we do this by staying true to our founding values and by maintaining strong alliances to help insulate our citizens from external threats. Where we are not nuanced and will not compromise is our belief that America’s success in the world comes from loyalty to country, not to party. 

Since the founding of the Coalition, I have been blessed to meet hundreds of national security leaders, many of whom have chosen to join our ranks as Advisory Board members. I’ve had the honor to engage with students from across the country, to encourage their dreams of entering the world of foreign policy. I’ve had the pleasure of working with my colleagues – from our former team members including Amanda Rothschild, Sam Byers, Hannah Hummelberg, and Ana Quintana – to our current team featuring Corban Teague, Sydney Novak, Ethan Minkoff, Anne Lord, Jessica Farrell, and Thor Mortensen. And through it all, we’ve collectively had the chance to influence foreign policy, from educating up and coming national security leaders to briefing Congressional candidates. Above all, we are proud that our work partnering with leading foreign policy officials has successfully advanced a vision of this nation that rejects trendy declinism and argues that America was, is, and will continue to be the nation that serves as the “beacon on the hill.” Thank you for standing with us these last five years, and for everything each of you does to keep America safe, strong, and free.