[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7997-S7998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



          America's Global Diplomacy and the State Department

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to share my deep 
concern over the current state of America's global diplomacy. A 
multitude of decisions made by this administration in the last year 
have caused me to pause and repeatedly ask why, but in no area have I 
been more perplexed than the actions that have taken place at the State 
Department.
  Ever since the Secretary of State took the helm, there has been a 
slow, unexplained erosion of the Department and, along with it, the 
values that it promotes and the vital role it plays around the world. 
By now, many are familiar with the list of concerns that seasoned 
diplomats, national security officials, and Members of this body have 
been raising with increasing alarm over the last weeks and months.
  More than 30 key ambassadorships remain without named nominees. 
Dozens of important senior-level posts remain vacant. Career officials 
are being cut out of important policy decisions or overruled by 
leadership, including, sometimes, even on legal issues. The Foreign 
Service is being hollowed out, with a significantly lower number in the 
incoming classes, putting at risk the next generation of leaders. 
Opportunities for midlevel employees are extremely limited, with a 
freeze on most transfers and promotions. Our most experienced 
officials--the Department's equivalent of 2-, 3-, and 4-star generals--
have been departing or, effectively, forced out and not replaced at the 
same rate.
  I honor the experienced career officials who are stepping in to fill 
vacancies and are carrying out the Department's important work, but 
there are limits to what officials can accomplish in an acting role. It 
is now December. We cannot afford to have a Department that remains 
hamstrung because of rudderless stagnation at the top.
  Let's be clear. This is not just about numbers or unfilled positions. 
The numbers do not tell the full story. While the employees at the 
State Department and USAID can and have been carrying on, it is not an 
easy task when employees feel that the message they receive from the 
top is that they and their work are not valued. Understandably, this 
has an impact on morale, which is now devastatingly low.
  In embarking on what has been dubbed a ``redesign'' of the 
Department, the leadership at State has regrettably left the men and 
women who so capably and loyally serve it behind. I have heard from 
many employees who are not just concerned about their own future or 
careers but who are concerned about the direction of the Department 
itself and the viability of its legacy. The State Department's 
leadership has had more than enough time to assess what can be 
improved. It is beyond time to show the men and women serving at State 
and USAID that they are not only a valued but a vital part of our 
national diplomacy and national security strategy.
  For weeks, Secretary Tillerson has promised to announce significant 
progress on his plan to move the Department forward. Tuesday, in a 
speech to the State Department and USAID personnel, the message was 
once again underwhelming. Secretary Tillerson continues to tinker 
around the edges while the Department's core functions are deliberately 
hollowed out.
  While I am encouraged to see him announce a few small but important 
steps in the right direction, I am worried that he still has not gotten 
the overall message. Despite calls from me and others on the Foreign 
Relations Committee and pleas from current and former employees, 
diplomats, and military leaders, Secretary Tillerson has yet to lift 
the hiring freeze that remains in place. He announced it would be 
lifted for the family members of employees--a welcome step but not 
enough. Freezing or limiting opportunities for family members to join 
their spouses who are serving abroad never made sense in the first 
place.
  I am, therefore, still left wondering why the hiring freeze has been 
in place at all, when nearly every other Federal agency lifted it 
earlier this year. I cannot understand how it has benefited our foreign 
and civil service. So again I am left asking: Why? Why should we 
tolerate a massive exodus of diplomatic and development expertise at 
the State Department and USAID? Our President said recently that we do 
not need to worry about the fact that many of the senior-level 
positions at the State Department remain unfilled because when it comes 
to foreign policy, his opinion is the only one that matters. Why on 
Earth would he say that? For the thousands of Foreign Service officers 
around the world working to advance the ideals of the United States, 
this was a horrible and offensive message.
  I am concerned that this administration does not understand how 
critical a role the State Department and USAID play in our national 
security policy. They are every bit as vital and critical an element of 
our national security as the Department of Defense, the intelligence 
community, our law enforcement, or the countless others in the Federal 
Government who work tirelessly every day to protect our security, 
extend our prosperity, and promote our values.
  We put our country in danger when we do not give adequate voice and 
resources to all of our country's national security tools. Former 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said: ``In a turbulent and 
perilous world, the men and women of the Foreign Service are on the 
front lines every day, on every continent for us.''
  Diplomacy is an investment we make so that we don't have to go to 
war. Nickel-and-diming it is not in our national security interest.
  I made no secret about my deep concerns regarding the current 
management practices of the Department's leadership, the reorganization 
and budget debacles, the current senior-level vacancies, and the deep 
costs that our Foreign Service and development professionals are 
paying. The United States' foreign policy leadership around the world 
is also paying the price, and we will continue to pay the price if 
things aren't turned around quickly.
  Even with the few changes Secretary Tillerson announced this week, I 
believe there are still multiple issues that need to be addressed. I 
raised many of them recently in a letter to the Secretary with my 
fellow Democratic colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
If the Secretary truly wishes for the State Department and our country 
to succeed, he will seriously consider the following concerns:
  First, improve transparency. All Senators on the Senate Foreign 
Relations

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Committee should receive regular briefings that thoroughly address 
proposed reorganization plans and decisions.
  Second, we need to know the details and timeline for reorganization. 
The Department must provide a clear timeline--something it has failed 
to do to date--and provide details about what it is planning.
  While there are some parts of the reorganization that we find to be 
positive, such as improving information technology, I remain concerned 
that the reorganization may be marginalizing or eliminating critical 
bureaus and offices that help to inform U.S. foreign policy. I 
understand that many of these ideals may not come to fruition, but it 
is essential for us to receive details in a timely way so that the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee can carry out its critical oversight 
function. Again, we are now in the eleventh month of this 
administration, and we don't yet know when they are going to be 
submitting their plans for reorganization, and we have not been kept 
adequately informed.
  Third, I would mention filling senior vacancies. The Department must 
prioritize key senior vacancies and work with the White House to 
swiftly move forward qualified nominees. The significant vacancies for 
senior-level management and policy positions in such critical bureaus 
as Counterterrorism and Political-Military Affairs are deeply 
troubling. Approximately 30 countries still do not have named 
Ambassador nominees, including South Korea, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi 
Arabia. Despite claims that the Senate's slow pace is to blame for the 
lack of confirmed nominees, the fact is that the Foreign Relations 
Committee has promptly processed the vast majority of nominees, and 
only a handful are currently awaiting a Senate vote. We cannot confirm 
nominees who have not been nominated.
  Finally, let me talk about the need to uphold the mission of the 
Department. The Department's mission statement must continue to reflect 
the values we hold as Americans. Proposed changes send a troubling 
signal about the administration's vision for the Department and its 
role in foreign policy. The promotion of democracy and respect for 
human rights around the world must remain a central part of the State 
Department's overall mission.
  I agree that improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the 
Department is critical to our national security given the countless 
challenges we face as a nation. Reforms to information technology, 
human resources, and procurement systems are long overdue, and I 
support the efforts of the Department to streamline special envoys and 
special representative positions.

  I hope, moving forward, the Department will consider Congress as a 
partner in these endeavors, as well as broader efforts to strengthen 
America's diplomatic capabilities. However, if the Department continues 
down its current path, I can assure you that my colleagues and I will 
use every legislative option we have to address these concerns.
  My goal is to ensure that the employees in the State Department have 
all the resources and support they require to complete their tasks and 
ensure that the United States remains a global diplomatic leader. I 
will do everything in my power to guarantee that this goal is 
accomplished.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. HASSAN. Thank you, Mr. President.