    [House Hearing, 114 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                         DEPARTMENT OF STATE OPERATIONS
                    AUTHORIZATION AND EMBASSY SECURITY ACT,
                                FISCAL YEAR 2016

    =======================================================================

                                     MARKUP

                                   BEFORE THE

                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                       ON

                                    S. 1635

                                   __________

                                  MAY 26, 2016

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 114-182

                                   __________

            Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
                                      or
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                                       ______

                             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

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                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

                     EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
    CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey     ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
    ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida         BRAD SHERMAN, California
    DANA ROHRABACHER, California         GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
    STEVE CHABOT, Ohio                   ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
    JOE WILSON, South Carolina           GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
    MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
    TED POE, Texas                       BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
    MATT SALMON, Arizona                 KAREN BASS, California
    DARRELL E. ISSA, California          WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
    TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania             DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
    JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina          ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
    MO BROOKS, Alabama                   AMI BERA, California
    PAUL COOK, California                ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
    RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas            GRACE MENG, New York
    SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
    RON DeSANTIS, Florida                TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
    MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina         JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
    TED S. YOHO, Florida                 ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
    CURT CLAWSON, Florida                BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
    SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
    REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin
    DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan
    LEE M. ZELDIN, New York
    DANIEL DONOVAN, New York

         Amy Porter, Chief of Staff      Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director

                   Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                   MARKUP ON

    S. 1635, Department of State Operations Authorization and Embassy
      Security Act, Fiscal Year 2016.................................     2
      Amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 1635 offered by
        the Honorable Edward R. Royce, a Representative in Congress
        from the State of California, and chairman, Committee on
        Foreign Affairs..............................................   162
          Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to
            S. 1635 offered by:
              The Honorable Mo Brooks, a Representative in Congress
                from the State of Alabama............................   242
              The Honorable Steve Chabot, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of Ohio......................   245
              The Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, a Representative in
                Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia...........   247
              The Honorable Scott DesJarlais, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of Tennessee.................   249
              The Honorable Jeff Duncan, a Representative in Congress
                from the State of South Carolina.....................   250
              The Honorable Jeff Duncan..............................   251
              The Honorable Eliot L. Engel, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of New York..................   252
              The Honorable William Keating, a Representative in
                Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts......   255
              The Honorable Robin L. Kelly, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of Illinois..................   257
              The Honorable Alan S. Lowenthal, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of California................   258
              The Honorable Grace Meng, a Representative in Congress
                from the State of New York...........................   259
              The Honorable Ted Poe, a Representative in Congress
                from the State of Texas..............................   260
              The Honorable Ted Poe..................................   262
              The Honorable Ted Poe..................................   264
              The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of Florida...................   267
              The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen......................   270
              The Honorable Edward R. Royce..........................   272
              The Honorable Brad Sherman, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of California................   274
              The Honorable Brad Sherman.............................   275
              The Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in
                Congress from the State of New Jersey................   277
              The Honorable Christopher H. Smith.....................   279
              The Honorable Christopher H. Smith.....................   281
              The Honorable Ted S. Yoho, a Representative in Congress
                from the State of Florida............................   282

                                    APPENDIX

    Markup notice....................................................   298
    Markup minutes...................................................   299
    Markup summary...................................................   301
    The Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress
      from the State of New Jersey: Material submitted for the record   302

                         DEPARTMENT OF STATE OPERATIONS
                       AUTHORIZATION AND EMBASSY SECURITY
                             ACT, FISCAL YEAR 2016

                                  ----------

                             THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

                           House of Representatives,

                         Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC.

        The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:38 a.m., in
    room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward Royce
    (chairman of the committee) presiding.
        Chairman Royce. The committee will come to order.
        Pursuant to notice, we meet today to mark up Senate bill
    1635, our Department of State Authorities Act. And without
    objection, all members may have 5 days to submit statements or
    extraneous material for the record.
        So I now call up the bill, S. 1635.
        Without objection, Royce Amendment 109 in the nature of a
    substitute, circulated and posted earlier this week, will be
    considered base text, is considered as read, and is open for
    amendment at any point.
        [The information referred to follows:]

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          Chairman Royce. As members were notified yesterday, I am
    going to go ahead and call up the bipartisan en bloc before
    recognizing myself and others for statements. And so, without
    objection, the following amendments circulated to your offices
    yesterday, which all members have in front of them, will be
    considered en bloc and are considered as read.
        There is the Brooks amendment 46, the Chabot amendment 40,
    the Connolly amendment 77, DesJarlais amendment 10, Duncan
    amendments 64 and Duncan 65, Engel amendment 95, Keating
    amendment 14, Kelly amendment 42, Lowenthal amendment 75, Meng
    amendment 83, Poe amendment 105, 106, and 107, Ros-Lehtinen
    amendment 46 and 47, Royce amendment 120, Sherman amendment 37,
    Sherman amendment 38, Smith amendments 94, 96, and 98, and the
    Yoho amendment 97.
        [The information referred to follows:]

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Royce. After recognizing myself and the ranking
    member, I will be pleased to recognize any member seeking
    recognition to speak on the bill and on the en bloc amendments.
        So here is the concept. The annual authorization of the
    Department of the State is the signature legislative action of
    this committee. It is our responsibility. The House has passed
    an authorization bill in each of the last six Congresses, and I
    think we are all proud of that. But, unfortunately, when we
    bring the Senate into the mix, it has been 15 years since this
    legislation was signed into law.
        We have an opportunity to break this streak.
        A lack of regular authorizations undermines this
    committee's ability to influence the agenda and activities of
    the Department of State, and as a result, we have seen the
    Department go to other committees to advance priorities. Now,
    that undermines our congressional oversight.
        Today, we will take up the Senate's recently passed State
    Authorities bill from Fiscal Year 2016, which we have
    collaborated on with them. It has been 12 years since the
    Senate passed such a bill. So we should be enthusiastic about
    the opportunity we now have. The process for Fiscal Year 2016
    is completed.
        So today we are considering State Authorities for Fiscal
    Year 2017. In particular, this legislation includes a number of
    critical Embassy security reforms and improvements. And, for
    example, thanks to an amendment by Representatives Frankel and
    Randy Weber, the Department will be authorized to use so-called
    best value criteria when contracting for local guards at U.S.
    facilities overseas, and we all know, in retrospect, how
    imperative this is to make this change.
        The bill requires the State Department to designate a list
    of high-risk, high-threat posts, effectively prioritizing
    resources, prioritizing security for these posts. The State
    Department and Defense Department are directed to jointly
    develop enhanced contingency plans for emergency situations,
    including planning for rapid deployment of military resources
    to keep our personnel safe in time of crisis. And we have
    included important provisions that improve security for
    children and families of U.S. diplomats abroad.
        The bill also contains important provisions to increase
    accountability for sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N.
    peacekeepers. This has been the subject of committee hearings.
    We have also included important provisions to strengthen the
    oversight capacity of the Inspector General, an office that
    this committee successfully fought to have filled after sitting
    vacant for 5 years.
        Lastly, the bill increases flexibility in the Department's
    workforce, allowing civil servants more opportunities to serve
    overseas, authorizing a pilot program to acquire skilled
    workers from the private sector at the midcareer level.
        So I want to thank the many members who contributed to this
    bill. I want to thank our ranking member, Mr. Engel, and let me
    include Chairman McCaul for his language to improve the Rewards
    for Justice Program, and Mr. Brooks for his language to
    increase financial transparency and accountability at the
    United Nations, among others.
        And as a result of these many contributions from members on
    both sides of the aisle here, this is a strengthened and
    important product, a bipartisan bill that bolsters this
    committee's role as overseer of State Department operations,
    and I look forward to seeing this measure advance.
        And I turn now to Mr. Engel for his opening statement.
        Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this
    markup. This is perhaps the most significant markup since I
    have been ranking member of the committee. I want to second
    every word you just uttered. I think your statement hit it
    right on the head, and I thank you for that statement.
        In the year 2002, in the wake of a horrific terrorist
    attack, the way our country looked at the world was quickly
    changing, but no one could have predicted the way the next
    years would unfold. A disastrous intervention in the Middle
    East that toppled a regime and paved the way for a group of
    extremists even worse than al-Qaeda. The rapid growth in the
    Asia-Pacific that has drawn the focus of the administration.
    The true extent of the threats of climate change coming into
    clear focus. The development of new technologies that connect
    people around the world in ways we have never known, for better
    or worse.
        In the last 14 years, the challenges and opportunities of
    the 21st century have come into definition. Our policies, here
    and around the world, have done their best to keep pace. But 14
    years ago--14 years ago--was also the last time a State
    Department authorization bill made it to the President's desk.
    It has been 14 years since Congress made a top-to-bottom
    assessment of the way we carry out our diplomacy. And without
    assigning blame as to why this hasn't happened, one thing is
    sure: We are long overdue to move forward on this bill.
        We need to be taking constant stock of the way the State
    Department and other agencies are working to advance American
    leadership and interests around the world, and we need to be
    diligent in looking for ways to enhance those efforts.
        The Defense Department gets reauthorized every single year,
    the Defense Department, virtually without fail. We should place
    no less importance on the agencies whose job it is to prevent
    conflict and diffuse crises. As I have said before on this
    committee, stopping an ongoing crisis is a much costlier
    business than preventing one in terms of American dollars, and
    often American lives. Our diplomats are some of the most
    talented people we have working on the front lines of national
    security. If we fail to give diplomacy the tools and resources
    needed for success, we do so at our peril.
        Furthermore, in my view, if we don't pass this bill--and
    this is what the chairman said and he was so right--if we don't
    pass the bill, we put the importance of this committee at risk.
    With great respect for our colleagues on the other committees
    that deal with national security, by failing to act on our own
    oversight responsibilities we open the door for other
    committees to chip away at our jurisdiction.
        And again, this is something that the chairman and I have
    worked together on. We don't want other committees raiding our
    jurisdiction. So if we pass things, like we are about to do,
    that shows a great deal of importance in what we are doing and
    tells other committees who might want to poach jurisdiction: Go
    away.
        So I am glad to support the measure we are considering
    today. I am grateful to members and staff on both sides of the
    aisle for all their hard work.
        There are a few things in particular I would like to
    emphasize as we start this markup.
        First is to remind ourselves that, at its core, diplomacy
    is about people. Two days ago, the Foreign Service marked its
    92nd anniversary. For nearly a century, some of our most
    dedicated, courageous Americans have chosen this path of public
    service. From consular officers to political counselors to
    career Ambassadors, countless men and women have made their
    mark in every corner of the globe as our country's face to the
    world, and that is a remarkable record.
        And if that century has taught us one thing, it is that if
    we want to get our foreign policy right, we need to have the
    right people making that policy a reality. We need to have them
    in the right places at the right times, and we need to make
    sure they can do their jobs with confidence in their security.
        Diplomacy can be a dangerous business, as we have seen too
    many times. Our diplomats understand that, but they also know
    that you cannot conduct diplomacy from inside a bunker. If we
    are serious about making progress on issues such as climate
    change, human rights, violent extremism, and public health, our
    diplomats need to do much more than just meet with government
    officials. To deal with the complex issues that weave a modern
    foreign policy, we need to practice diplomacy from the bottom
    up, engaging with people and communities in a way that we
    wouldn't have considered a generation ago.
        That is why this bill focuses on the security of our
    Embassies and proper training of our personnel. This bill
    allows the State Department to hire local protection for our
    Embassies on the basis of best value rather than lowest cost.
    In my view, if we are hiring people who we are sure will keep
    our diplomats safe, there is a great deal of value in that,
    even if the dollars-and-cents cost is little more. I want to
    thank Representative Frankel for her work on this provision.
        The bill also authorizes funding to improve the security of
    so-called soft targets, not typical diplomatic facilities, but
    things like schools and school buses for the children of
    diplomats abroad.
        So with this bill, we are doing more to focus on the people
    who make up our State Department. And while we are focused on
    people, we also want the State Department to reflect who we are
    as a country. Our Foreign Service should look the way America
    looks, people from a wide range of backgrounds and
    perspectives. America's diversity is one of our greatest
    strengths, and as our face to the world, our diplomatic corps
    should reflect that strength.
        Diversity is also about more than practicing what we
    preach. Bringing together a diverse workforce means bringing
    together more ideas and different points of view when our
    leaders face tough decisions. The challenges we face are too
    complex for us to lean on old ways of thinking or close our
    eyes to new approaches.
        So we have included in this bill a number of provisions to
    encourage the Department to recruit, train, and retain a
    diverse workforce. We have seen a lot of reporting that the
    State Department has been slow to change in these areas, and
    hopefully these measures will speed the Department in the right
    direction.
        And lastly, I want to thank Chairman Royce for including my
    Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission legislation in this
    bill. We are facing an unprecedented heroin epidemic, so we
    need to make sure our drug policy is focused on saving lives.
    On the domestic side, we need to do much more on prevention and
    treatment. My provision will allow us to look outward and take
    stock of what has worked and what hasn't when it comes to our
    drug policy in Latin America and the Caribbean.
        So I am grateful this measure is moving forward, and I am
    grateful for all the creative and forward-looking ideas that
    have gone into this bill. I look forward to continuing to work
    on it. I am very proud of this committee, members on both sides
    of the aisle, in acting on this long overdue legislation. I am
    very proud of the bipartisanship that we have shown on this
    committee. I am very proud of Chairman Royce's leadership. And
    I want to thank all the members, on both sides of the aisle,
    for their cooperation.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Engel.
        We have Mr. Chris Smith from New Jersey.
        Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First of all,
    thank you for scheduling this and for your leadership in
    bringing this important bill--and Mr. Engel--to the full
    committee. I want to thank Chairman Corker as well for his
    wonderful work on this bill.
        You know, the Embassy Security Act and this State
    Department reauthorization, I remember back in 2000, I was the
    prime sponsor of the original Admiral Nance and Meg Donovan
    Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which we also called the
    Embassy Security Act. And after we got hit in Dar es Salaam and
    in Nairobi, Kenya, there was a very concerted effort to ensure
    that setbacks, Mylar on the windows, and all the other
    protections were put into place, the hiring of more diplomatic
    security.
        And as the chairman pointed out so well, we have been
    stymied for well over a decade in trying to get an
    authorization. As a matter of fact, the way I got my bill
    passed was to hook it. House passed. Senate wouldn't take it
    up. We hooked it by reference to an appropriations bill, a
    convoluted way to get something into law. This will be straight
    up and the way it should be that both committees of the Senate
    and House do this important work.
        There are many important things in this bill, like I said,
    from strengthening Embassy security to addressing critical U.N.
    reforms, not the least of which is the sexual exploitation and
    abuse committed by U.N. peacekeepers. I have held several
    hearings on the abuse of peacekeepers, including in the DR
    Congo, I went there, I went to Goma, I met with peacekeepers.
        That is still an unfinished business. Peacekeepers are
    still exploiting children and they were still a part of sex
    trafficking. Zero tolerance, which is what the U.N. has said is
    the standard. One of the hearings we called ``Zero
    Compliance.'' It has gotten better in some ways. This
    legislation will help it get even better. So I want to thank
    the chairman again.
        On whistleblowers, we have had two hearings on
    whistleblowers. One of them was cosponsored by my good friend
    and colleague, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. We looked at WIPO, the
    World Intellectual Property Organization, its director general,
    who has retaliated against whistleblowers who sat right there
    at the witness table and told harrowing tales how they had been
    retaliated against.
        It is unconscionable that people who see waste, fraud, and
    abuse, and great unethical behavior, are themselves retaliated
    against. This legislation, or the amendment I am offering here,
    says use our voice, our vote, and our influence to ensure that
    whistleblowers are protected and the integrity of the U.N.
    system is advanced.
        I also want to thank you for agreeing to include the
    amendment to address the persistent refusal of nations to
    extradite fugitives from justice who have been convicted of
    serious crimes. In 1963, a guy by the name of Wright was
    sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison in connection to a gas
    station robbery during which Walter Patterson, a decorated
    World War II veteran and Bronze Star recipient, was shot to
    death.
        I have had his family testify at a hearing because Portugal
    refuses to allow him to be extradited back to the United States
    to serve his sentence. He was killed in cold blood, convicted
    by a judicial process here in New Jersey, or in the United
    States, and then not only did he leave and enter Portugal
    illegally, he hijacked a plane from Detroit to Miami and went
    to Algeria. The fact that the Portuguese have refused to--I
    mean, this festering sore for this family in my district knows
    no bounds. When they testified, the daughters and the family,
    they were in tears that their father's death, this man is
    living in Portugal, Wright, and we can't get him back here to
    serve his sentence.
        Finally, the third amendment that I am offering, and I
    thank you for including it in en bloc, has to be do with
    autism. Mr. Chairman, as you know, I founded the Autism Caucus,
    I have written three laws on autism, including the most recent
    Autism CARES Act. Everywhere I go and travel, and other members
    get the same feedback, we know that many of our Foreign Service
    Officers, their dependents, their children especially, are
    disadvantaged when they are deployed to areas when there is no
    ABA therapy and other kinds of assistance, particularly early
    childhood intervention.
        This encourages the State Department to have their backs,
    to provide and to ensure that ABA therapy, which is probably
    the most effective means of early childhood intervention, to
    get children to a better way of living throughout their entire
    lifecycle. This amendment is backed by Autism Speaks, as well
    as Autism Society, and I thank you for including it.
        And I yield back the balance of my time.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you.
        Lois Frankel of Florida.
        Ms. Frankel. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Mr. Engel.
        First of all, I want to start by saying thank you very much
    for the bipartisanship of this committee. I know we members, we
    dicker sometimes, we have our differences of opinion, but when
    it counts, we step up to the plate and really offer something
    that we need. And I want to just echo some of the things that
    you highlighted already and just thank the other members for
    all their contributions to this very good bill.
        The last State Department authorization bill was signed
    into law in 2002, and I think we all know that the world has
    changed significantly since then, especially in regards to our
    security needs.
        As a member of this committee, we have the privilege of
    traveling all over the world and meeting our diplomatic corps,
    the people who work in our Embassies. And I will say that one
    of the highlights of all my trips has been to meet these folks
    who are so smart and educated and so patriotic and dedicated.
        And it is not just our Ambassadors, who are very, very
    impressive, but it is all the people who work in the Embassies.
    And I really feel that it is our responsibility to make sure
    that they are as safe as they can be.
        It used to be that most places in the world you consider
    will be safe, and think about just the past year or two, Paris,
    Brussels, Jakarta, cities where you would think, hey, we should
    be safe there. But horrible terrorist attacks.
        Under the Vienna Convention, security of foreign Embassies
    is the responsibility of the host country. When the host
    country cannot or will not provide security, the State
    Department hires the local guard force to secure Embassies,
    search and sweep entrance, patrol and secure the perimeter.
    U.S. Marines may also be present.
        Again, I want to thank Mr. Royce and Mr. Engel for allowing
    Mr. Weber and I to include in this bill a provision that
    provides that the State Department has the authority to use the
    best value contracting for security for all diplomatic posts.
    Without this authority, when awarding contracts to Embassy
    security firms, the State Department is required to choose the
    lowest priced option, regardless of qualifications.
        This is very upsetting when you consider that the State
    Department is allowed to use best value contracting for
    janitorial and landscaping needs.
        Best value allows them to consider past performance, risk
    aversion, reliability, and innovative pricing practices. A
    former Ambassador came to me and shared a story when she heard
    about this provision and explaining that the diplomatic corps
    was very supportive of this, that in one of her services they
    contracted with local guards, they had to get the lowest price.
    The guards, believe it or not, they were recently released from
    prison, they stole from them, they stole from their families,
    they ran away during unannounced safety drills, they harassed
    them, and actually one of the security guards killed the
    family's pet cat. This is what they had guarding one of the
    Embassies.
        So this goes a long way in changing that. This authority
    has been requested by the State Department, and I feel very
    good that we are giving them that authority, I think this is
    the least of what we can do to protect the very, very brave, as
    I said before, the brave, educated, smart, patriotic people who
    we send across the world to not only protect our interests, but
    to help allies grow and protect their interests.
        And I yield back, Mr. Chair.
        Chairman Royce. We go now to Mr. Tom Marino of
    Pennsylvania.
        Mr. Marino. Thank you, Chairman. I am pleased that today
    our committee is taking up a bill authorizing parts of the
    State Department.
        One area that I was disappointed to see that this bill did
    not address was export control reform. In 2009, this
    administration began work on export control reform, and so far
    it has been very successful in most areas.
        Unfortunately, due to this administration's ongoing
    aversion to firearms, they have not completed export control
    reforms in regards to firearms and ammunition. Out of the 18
    categories the administration included in their initiative, 12
    had final rules written that are now in effect. Only three
    categories--firearms, guns, and armament and ammunition--have
    not even had a rule proposed.
        And their agency work on these categories has been
    completed for more than 4 years, but this administration
    refuses to publish them in the Federal Register. These
    categories were scheduled to be included in this initiative by
    the administration but have been left behind.
        It is time that we make all our exports competitive. This
    administration should finish the work that they started and
    complete export control reform.
        Here in the near future, my colleague, Collin Peterson,
    will be introducing a resolution that expresses Congress'
    support for completing export control reform. This is an
    important sign from Congress of the importance of these
    reforms. I will be a cosponsor of this legislation and hope my
    colleagues will join me in supporting this resolution. I look
    forward to working with the committee, the administration, and
    other members to ensure that export control reform is completed
    fully.
        And I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you.
        I want to thank Mr. Marino for his consideration and
    interest in issues that, although outside the scope of this
    bill, are serious issues that the committee will continue to
    study.
        We go now to Grace Meng of New York.
        To Mr. William Keating of Massachusetts.
        Mr. Keating. I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Mr. Keating yields back.
        And we go to Mr. Lowenthal.
        Mr. Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I too would
    like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing
    up this very important legislation.
        In a time of rapid change, frequent unrest in the world, it
    is crucial for the United States to demonstrate our continued
    commitment to diplomacy. Our taking up of this bill renews that
    commitment by investing in our diplomats and in their safety.
        I am especially pleased to see the provisions strengthening
    diversity and recruitment, employment, retention, and
    promotion, and expanding the Rangel, Pickering, and the Payne
    Fellowships. Our Foreign Service Officers are America's face to
    the world in countries everywhere. They should reflect and
    represent the rich diversity that has made our Nation truly
    great.
        In this spirit, I have a very simple amendment in the en
    bloc directing the Secretary to conduct and submit a study on
    workforce issues and challenges to career opportunities for
    tandem couples in the Foreign Service, as well as couples with
    only one spouse in the Foreign Service. This language is taken
    directly from the Senate version of this bill.
        Foreign Service Officers bravely serve their country for
    years, for many decades in many cases. The report requested in
    this amendment will be a valuable tool in illuminating the
    challenges facing Foreign Service Officers with spouses that
    are both in and out of the service.
        I just want to thank the chairman and the ranking member
    and their staffs for working to include this simple amendment
    in the en bloc.
        And I thank you again, and I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Mr. David Trott from Michigan.
        Mr. Trott. Thank you, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member
    Engel, for bringing this bill up for consideration today.
        While our committee has jurisdiction over many items
    relating to our national security and diplomatic relations with
    foreign governments, one of our most important tasks is
    oversight of the State Department and making sure our diplomats
    and Embassies are as secure as possible.
        This bill includes many crucial provisions regarding
    oversight, whistleblower protections, and also programs to
    ensure that we recruit the best and brightest candidates to
    serve as our diplomats overseas. We also send a clear message
    in this bill to countries that commit gross human rights
    violations that they will be held accountable and aid could be
    withheld.
        Taxpayers will be happy to see a more transparent State
    Department because this bill requires the Office of Management
    and Budget to report on all U.S. assessments and contributions
    to the United Nations.
        I am proud of the bipartisan efforts in this committee and
    look forward to full passage of the bill by the House of
    Representatives.
        I yield back my time.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Trott.
        Mr. David Cicilline of Rhode Island.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member
    Engel, for holding this markup today. I am pleased that this
    committee has once again come together in a spirit of
    bipartisanship to mark up the State Department authorization
    for the first time since 2013. I commend my colleagues and the
    committee staff for the hard work that went into getting us to
    this point.
        Holding this markup is indeed noteworthy, especially when
    we consider how much the world has changed since the last State
    Department authorization bill was signed into law back in 2002.
    I welcome this opportunity of the Foreign Affairs Committee to
    carry out our responsibility in authorizing the State
    Department.
        American leadership in the world is critically important
    today, given the many challenges facing the United States, our
    allies, and our partners around the globe. This bill provides
    the State Department with the tools it needs to confront these
    challenges by addressing issues such as Embassy security and
    personnel protection, diversity in hiring and assignments, and
    addressing concerns related to the United Nations.
        I am the co-chair of the Congressional Peacekeeping Caucus,
    which I formed with my Republican colleague Adam Kinzinger of
    Illinois, so that Members of Congress can discuss the
    importance of regional peacekeeping operations and their impact
    on U.S. foreign policy and national security. That is why I am
    particularly pleased that this bill addresses oversight of and
    accountability for peacekeeper abuses by requiring the
    Secretary to submit a strategy and implementation plan for
    combating sexual exploitation in U.N. peacekeeping operations
    to help reduce occurrences of such abuse and to improve the
    capacity of the U.N. to prevent and identify sexual
    exploitation.
        I am pleased that the bill makes clear that it is the
    policy of the United States Government to withhold assistance
    to any security force unit of a foreign country that has
    committed a gross violation of human rights, including sexual
    exploitation or abuse.
        And I welcome the whistleblower protections that are
    included in the bill which call for the U.S. Permanent
    Representative to advocate for the removal of any official whom
    the Secretary determines has failed to meet ethical standards,
    to ensure that whistleblower protections are extended to U.N.
    peacekeeping personnel, and to encourage the U.N. to provide
    redress to any whistleblower who has suffered retribution.
        The Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and
    International Organizations and Middle East and North Africa
    subcommittees have heard testimony this year from brave U.N.
    employees who spoke out against abuses within the U.N. system
    which highlighted not only gross misconduct of U.N. teams in
    places such as Sudan, but also in subsequent so-called
    investigations. The United States should be a leader in the
    effort to overhaul the U.N.'s whistleblower systems and
    protections.
        I also want to applaud the provisions in the bill to
    increase diversity at the State Department, augment fellowship
    and training opportunities, and enhance benefits and career
    opportunities for Department personnel. These efforts will help
    attract the best people to represent the Nation and conduct the
    important work of the Department.
        The evolution and growth of the demands on the State
    Department since 2002, when the Department's authorization was
    last signed into law, are significant. This bill offers the
    first opportunity we have had in a long time to ensure the
    State Department is well positioned to confront 21st century
    challenges.
        And I again want to thank you, Mr. Chairman and our ranking
    member, and your staffs, for the work in bringing us to this
    day. And with that, I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you.
        We are going to go to Mr. Jeff Duncan.
        Mr. Duncan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks for this
    important bill. I have two amendments on the en bloc, and I
    appreciate them being included in the en bloc.
        I do think it is important to authorize programs and
    agencies. I think we have been operating for way too long
    without doing authorization bills, not in this committee but in
    the Congress as a whole. So that is just where I stand on that.
        Two amendments that I have, one just says it is time for
    the State Department really to follow the IG and the GAO
    recommendations and start implementing that. It is going to be
    huge cost savings for the United States and for our taxpayers.
    The hard-working American taxpayers expect agencies to operate
    within their means and to try to implement cost savings at
    every turn, good best management practices, things I do in the
    private sector, because it is the taxpayers' money, and I think
    the amendment I have addresses that.
        The second amendment, we see often--too often--in the
    United Nations where countries that are the beneficiaries of
    our tremendous benevolence of foreign assistance and other
    programs not go with us in the U.N. on at least half the time.
    We see percentages like Haiti, 18 percent of the time they vote
    with the U.S., and they receive a tremendous amount of taxpayer
    dollars. They are recipients of programs that the U.S.
    implements in their countries, but yet they can't stand with us
    in the United Nations. I just think that is important. And it
    is more than just the foreign assistance money. It is about
    doing what is right for the United States and what we stand for
    and the fact that we are their benefactor.
        So the second amendment just addresses that, that before
    entering into agreements with the member states, that they vote
    with us more often. I think that is something that we need to
    talk about at a future date going forward, and it may be an
    authorization bill itself.
        But I do appreciate these amendments being in the en bloc,
    and I look forward to supporting the bill. And with that, I
    yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Duncan.
        We go to Robin Kelly of Illinois.
        Ms. Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too want to thank you
    and Ranking Member Engel for your leadership and your staff,
    and thank you for including my amendment in this bill.
        I applaud the State Department's commitment to innovation
    and its continued work to modernize its infrastructure. My
    amendment would help ensure that the State Department stays on
    track in these efforts.
        Last year, in its Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development
    Review, the State Department included in its recommendations
    the establishment of a hub for analytics, strategy, and
    knowledge management. I know that many, if not all of my
    colleagues here support the creation of this hub as a way to
    improve efficiency at State.
        If implemented correctly, integrating data analytics into a
    shared hub will allow for deeper analysis, increased
    collaboration, and overall improved efficiency.
        Similarly, I serve as the ranking member of the Oversight
    Subcommittee on Information Technology. In this role, my top
    priority has been to update Federal agencies' IT systems, which
    will save billions of dollars while improving the security of
    our cyber infrastructure. A large part of this modernization is
    transitioning to the cloud.
        My amendment simply requires that State update this
    committee on these two vital efforts. Improving data sharing
    and cybersecurity at State is something that all of my
    colleagues can support.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to offer this
    amendment. I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you, Congresswoman Kelly.
        We need to go to William Keating of Massachusetts.
        Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too want to mention
    at the outset the work of this committee and the work of you,
    Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member Engel. Earlier in this
    Congress we had the first of its kind hearing centering on the
    role of women in security. It was really a breakthrough moment
    for the committee, and I want to thank you for your work on
    this.
        This amendment that is included in the en bloc is part of
    that. And I just want to thank your staffs as well for working
    with us on this. And I want to make mention of Representative
    Schakowsky, who has been working on separate legislation not as
    a member of this committee, but outside, to work to advance
    legislation with women, peace, and security that really
    codifies the important policies and practice to promote the
    inclusion and participation of women in peace and security.
        This amendment is a sense of Congress that, first, Deputy
    Assistant Secretaries be tasked by the Secretary of State with
    overseeing the integration of policy priorities related to
    women's participation in preventing and resolving conflicts;
    and second, that all Foreign Service Officers receive at least
    one training on the importance of women's participation in
    these particular areas.
        It is an important issue, the role of women in security.
    When we talk about being more effective in eradicating security
    threats and promoting stability overseas, we need to seriously
    consider the role of women, as this committee has, and the role
    they play in terms of these policies.
        The research is overwhelming in demonstrating that the
    active participation of women in resolving conflict leads to
    longer-term peace, and importantly, better outcomes for
    communities. Just one example through my work, working with
    Chairman Poe as the ranking member on Terrorism,
    Nonproliferation, and Trade, in this subcommittee, and as a
    member of the Homeland Security Committee, we found that
    engaging women in efforts to counter violent extremism has
    consistently led to law enforcement and security experts
    gaining greater access to communities and more effectively
    combating radicalization and the spread of violent extremism.
        So if we want to be as effective as we can be to increase
    stability throughout the world and be smart about our
    expenditures overseas, investing in women's participation in
    security at the local, national, and international levels is
    key.
        I yield back.
        Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Keating. I appreciate the
    contribution here to this debate which this amendment of yours
    has made. And I will just add that the committee is working on
    additional legislation, which we will move on this issue.
        Are there any other members that seek recognition?
        Hearing no further requests for recognition, the Chair
    moves that the committee adopt the amendments considered en
    bloc.
        All those in favor, say aye.
        All those opposed, no.
        In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the
    amendments considered en bloc are agreed to.
        Are there any additional amendments to the base text?
        Hearing none, the Chair now moves that the committee adopt
    Senate bill 1635, as amended.
        All those in favor, say aye.
        All those opposed, no.
        In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the
    bill, as amended, is agreed to.
        So without objection, this bill, as amended, is ordered
    favorably reported as a single amendment in the nature of a
    substitute, and staff is directed to make any technical and
    conforming changes. And also, without objection, the Chair is
    authorized to seek House consideration of the bill under
    suspension of the rules.
        This concludes our business for today. And I want to thank
    Ranking Member Engel and all of our committee members for their
    contributions and assistance with today's markup.
        The committee is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 10:16 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]

                                A P P E N D I X

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                       Material Submitted for the Record

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       Material submitted for the record by the Honorable Christopher H.
        Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey

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