2025 ALI Year in Review

December 10, 2025

As 2025 concludes, we at American Leadership Initiative are reflecting on a very successful year as we continue to grow. We are grateful to our expanding community of important stakeholders, including elected officials and other policy makers, business, civil society, independent experts, and our donors for your commitment to advancing American leadership and values globally.



This year has been extremely challenging for America and our friends and allies: chaotic high-level tariffs raising prices for families, workers, farmers, and businesses; U.S. technology leadership threatened by slashing critical funds for science, R&D, workforce training and universities; alliances frayed and foreign assistance gutted.

This moment, however, provides a unique opportunity to reshape America’s economic

strategy to meet today’s global and domestic challenges. To confront these

challenges head-on, ALI launched the Revitalize America project to work with our community of stakeholders to develop a roadmap for a new consensus on American economic global engagement, featuring policies to:

-    Reimagine Trade and Economic Alliances

-    Reassert Technology Leadership and Economic Security

-    Renew American Smart Power

-    Rebuild Our Workforce 

ALI has a robust schedule planned for 2026, working with our community of elected officials, business, civil society, and other thought leaders to address current challenges, as well as develop policies for American global leadership focused on lowering prices, creating good jobs, promoting innovation, and ensuring the United States remains a global economic leader for inclusive and sustainable growth, technology leadership and democratic values.

To ensure access to our exclusive events and content, we invite you to consider joining ALI by emailing Info@american-leadership.org and following us on LinkedIn. We invite you to join the conversation!

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season from the ALI team!

2025 CONVENINGS

ALI Conversation on "A New Trade Agenda" with Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19). Elected officials and thought leaders discussed the elements of a new tariff agenda for 2026 and 2028.

ALI Webinar on U.S.-China Technology Competition: AI, Biotech, Semiconductors, and Quantum with Melanie Hart (Atlantic Council), William Hannas (Georgetown University), Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante (Center for a New American Security), and Jimmy Goodrich (RAND Corporation), discussing the status of U.S.-China competition in four key technologies.

ALI Conversation on The Substance and Politics of the Fall Trade Agenda with Alexandra Whittaker (House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade) and Emma Bruce (House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific).

ALI Program on Repairing Relationships with America's Allies at the Residence of New Zealand's Ambassador Rosemary Banks, with Dutch Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar, Japanese Counselor Kazumichi Nagaoka, Rep. Ami Bera (CA-6), and Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA-2). The conversation centered on how America’s friends and allies are navigating this challenging time marked by turbulent tariffs and unpredictable policies coming from the U.S. government.

ALI hosted its 3rd Annual Policy Summit "Meeting the Challenges of a New World Disorder" with panel discussions by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (MI), Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4), Jeremy Bash (Beacon Global), Vivek Chilukuri (Center for a New American Security), Elizabeth Economy (Former Commerce Dept.), Bonnie Glaser (German Marshall Fund), Peter Harrell (Carnegie Endowment), Melanie Hart (Atlantic Council), Demetrios Marantis (Marantis Global), Josh Meltzer (Brookings), John Neuffer (Semiconductor Industry Association), along with other thought leaders from business, think tanks, and civil society.



ALI Conversation on Bipartisan AI Leadership and Governance with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R CA-23), Scott Singer (Oxford China Policy Lab), Mike Sexton (Third Way), and Bruce Miller (Business Software Alliance), to discuss the importance of U.S. leadership for AI global governance.

ALI Webinar on USMCA and U.S. Relations with Mexico and Canada with Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Vanessa Rubio (London School of Economics), Christopher Sands (Wilson Center), and Kellie Meiman (McLarty Associates).

Speakers discussed the impact of the Administration's policies on USMCA and its 2026 review.

ALI Hill Staff Tariff Training with Jennifer Hillman (Georgetown Law), Kathleen Claussen, (Georgetown Law) and Thomas Kahn (American University). More than 40 congressional staffers attended this ALI training to understand the various tariff statutes, their budgetary impact, and Executive vs Congressional authority.

ALI Conversation on The Path Forward for U.S.-China Relations, with Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4) and Rep. Ami Bera (CA-6). Participants noted that China is watching America’s current chaos and dysfunction, which it views as an opportunity to fill the void in global leadership.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

UPCOMING IN 2026

ALI has launched “Revitalize America," a new initiative aimed at shaping a forward-looking agenda for the United States on American global engagement. The initiative includes extensive policy conversations and consultations that are informing a series of policy papers. A launch event will take place in early 2026.

For more info on joining ALI and its members-only events, 

email info@american-leadership.org.