[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5650-S5652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6095. Mr. HAGERTY (for himself and Mr. Cardin) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr.
Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the
bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1214. FOREIGN AFFAIRS TRAINING.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Department of State is a crucial national security
agency, whose employees, both Foreign Service and Civil
Service, require the best possible training and professional
development at every stage of their careers to prepare them
to promote and defend United States national interests and
the health and safety of United States citizens abroad;
(2) the Department of State faces increasingly complex and
rapidly evolving challenges, many of which are science- and
technology-driven, and which demand continual, high-quality
training and professional development of its personnel;
(3) the new and evolving challenges of national security in
the 21st century necessitate the expansion of standardized
training and professional development opportunities linked to
equitable, accountable, and transparent promotion and
leadership practices for Department of State and other
national security agency personnel; and
(4) consistent with gift acceptance authority of the
Department of State and other applicable laws in effect as of
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department and the
Foreign Service Institute may accept funds and other
resources from foundations, not-for-profit corporations, and
other appropriate sources to help the Department and the
Institute enhance the quantity and quality of training and
professional development offerings, especially in the
introduction of new, innovative, and pilot model courses.
(b) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(c) Training and Professional Development Prioritization.--
In order to provide the Civil Service of the Department of
State and the Foreign Service with the level of professional
development and training needed to effectively advance United
States interests across the world, the Secretary of State
shall--
(1) increase relevant offerings provided by the Department
of State--
(A) of interactive virtual instruction to make training and
professional development more accessible and useful to
personnel deployed throughout the world; or
(B) at partner organizations, including universities,
industry entities, and nongovernmental organizations,
throughout the United States to provide useful outside
perspectives to Department of State personnel by providing
such personnel--
(i) a more comprehensive outlook on different sectors of
United States society; and
(ii) practical experience dealing with commercial
corporations, universities, labor unions, and other
institutions critical to United States diplomatic success;
(2) offer courses using computer-based or computer-assisted
simulations, allowing civilian officers to lead decision
making in a crisis environment, and encourage officers of the
Department of State, and reciprocally, officers of other
Federal departments to participate in similar exercises held
by the Department or other government organizations and the
private sector;
(3) increase the duration and expand the focus of certain
training and professional development courses, including by
extending--
(A) the A-100 entry-level course to as long as 12 weeks,
which better matches the length of entry-level training and
professional development provided to the officers in other
national security departments and agencies; and
(B) the Chief of Mission course to as long as 6 weeks for
first time Chiefs of Mission and creating comparable courses
for new Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Assistant
Secretaries to more accurately reflect the significant
responsibilities accompanying such roles; and
(4) ensure that Foreign Service officers who are assigned
to a country experiencing significant population displacement
due to the impacts of climatic and non-climatic shocks and
stresses, including rising sea levels and lack of access to
affordable and reliable energy and electricity, receive
specific instruction on United States policy with respect to
resiliency and adaptation to such climatic and non-climatic
shocks and stresses.
(d) Fellowships.--The Director General of the Foreign
Service shall--
(1) expand and establish new fellowship programs for
Foreign Service and Civil Service officers that include
short- and long-term opportunities at organizations,
including--
(A) think tanks and nongovernmental organizations;
(B) the Department of Defense, the elements of the
intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), and other
relevant Federal agencies;
(C) industry entities, especially such entities related to
technology, global operations, finance, and other fields
directly relevant to international affairs; and
(D) schools of international relations and other relevant
programs at universities throughout the United States; and
(2) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, submit a report to Congress that describes how
the Department of State could expand the Pearson Fellows
Program for Foreign Service Officers and the Brookings Fellow
Program for Civil Servants to provide fellows in such
programs with the opportunity to undertake a follow-on
assignment within the Department in an office in which
fellows will gain practical knowledge of the people and
processes of Congress, including offices other than the
Legislative Affairs Bureau, including--
(A) an assessment of the current state of congressional
fellowships, including the demand for fellowships and the
value the fellowships provide to both the career of the
officer and to the Department of State; and
(B) an assessment of the options for making congressional
fellowships for both the Foreign and Civil Services more
career-enhancing.
(e) Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service Institute.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
establish a Board of Visitors of the Foreign Service
Institute (referred to in this subsection as the ``Board'').
(2) Duties.--The Board shall provide the Secretary of State
with independent advice and recommendations regarding
organizational management, strategic planning, resource
management, curriculum development, and other matters of
interest to the Foreign Service Institute, including regular
observations about how well the Department of State is
integrating training and professional development into the
work of the Bureau for Global Talent Management.
(3) Membership.--
(A) In general.--The Board shall be--
(i) nonpartisan; and
(ii) composed of 12 members, of whom--
(I) 2 members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(II) 2 members shall be appointed by the ranking member of
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(III) 2 members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives;
(IV) 2 members shall be appointed by the ranking member of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(V) 4 members shall be appointed by the Secretary of State.
(B) Qualifications.--Members of the Board shall be
appointed from among individuals who--
(i) are not officers or employees of the Federal
Government; and
(ii) are eminent authorities in the fields of diplomacy,
national security, management, leadership, economics, trade,
technology, or advanced international relations education.
(C) Outside expertise.--
(i) In general.--Not fewer than 6 members of the Board
shall have a minimum of 10
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years of relevant expertise outside the field of diplomacy.
(ii) Prior senior service at the department of state.--Not
more than 6 members of the Board may be persons who
previously served in the Senior Foreign Service or the Senior
Executive Service at the Department of State.
(4) Terms.--Each member of the Board shall be appointed for
a term of 3 years, except that of the members first
appointed--
(A) 4 members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years;
(B) 4 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and
(C) 4 members shall be appointed for a term of 1 year.
(5) Reappointment; replacement.--A member of the Board may
be reappointed or replaced at the discretion of the official
who made the original appointment.
(6) Chairperson; co-chairperson.--
(A) Approval.--The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the
Board shall be approved by the Secretary of State based upon
a recommendation from the members of the Board.
(B) Service.--The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall
serve at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
(7) Meetings.--The Board shall meet--
(A) at the call of the Director of the Foreign Service
Institute and the Chairperson; and
(B) not fewer than 2 times per year.
(8) Compensation.--Each member of the Board shall serve
without compensation, except that a member of the Board shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of service for the Board.
Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code,
the Secretary of State may accept the voluntary and
uncompensated service of members of the Board.
(9) Applicability of federal advisory committee act.--The
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to
the Board established under this subsection.
(f) Establishment of Provost of the Foreign Service
Institute.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Foreign
Service Institute the position of Provost.
(2) Appointment; reporting.--The Provost shall--
(A) be appointed by the Secretary of State; and
(B) report to the Director of the Foreign Service
Institute.
(3) Qualifications.--The Provost shall be--
(A) an eminent authority in the field of diplomacy,
national security, education, management, leadership,
economics, history, trade, adult education, or technology;
and
(B) a person with significant experience outside the
Department of State, whether in other national security
agencies or in the private sector, and preferably in
positions of authority in educational institutions or the
field of professional development and mid-career training
with oversight for the evaluation of academic programs.
(4) Duties.--The Provost shall--
(A) oversee, review, evaluate, and coordinate the academic
curriculum for all courses taught and administered by the
Foreign Service Institute;
(B) coordinate the development of an evaluation system to
ascertain how well participants in Foreign Service Institute
courses have absorbed and utilized the information, ideas,
and skills imparted by each such course, such that
performance assessments can be included in the personnel
records maintained by the Bureau of Global Talent Management
and utilized in Foreign Service Selection Boards, which may
include--
(i) the implementation of a letter or numerical grading
system; and
(ii) assessments done after the course has concluded; and
(C) report not less frequently than quarterly to the Board
of Visitors regarding the development of curriculum and the
performance of Foreign Service officers.
(5) Term.--The Provost shall serve for a term of not fewer
than 5 years and may be reappointed for 1 additional 5-year
term.
(6) Compensation.--The Provost shall receive a salary
commensurate with the rank and experience of a member of the
Senior Foreign Service or the Senior Executive Service, as
determined by the Secretary of State.
(g) Other Agency Responsibilities and Opportunities for
Congressional Staff.--
(1) Other agencies.--National security agencies other than
the Department of State should be afforded the ability to
increase the enrollment of their personnel in courses at the
Foreign Service Institute and other training and professional
development facilities of the Department to promote a whole-
of-government approach to mitigating national security
challenges.
(2) Congressional staff.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of
Congress that describes--
(A) the training and professional development opportunities
at the Foreign Service Institute and other Department of
State facilities available to congressional staff;
(B) the budget impacts of offering such opportunities to
congressional staff; and
(C) potential course offerings.
(h) Strategy for Adapting Training Requirements for Modern
Diplomatic Needs.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress
a strategy for adapting and evolving training requirements to
better meet the Department of State's current and future
needs for 21st century diplomacy.
(2) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall include the following elements:
(A) Integrating training requirements into the Department
of State's promotion policies, including establishing
educational and professional development standards for
training and attainment to be used as a part of tenure and
promotion guidelines.
(B) Addressing multiple existing and emerging national
security challenges, including--
(i) democratic backsliding and authoritarianism;
(ii) countering, and assisting United States allies to
address, state-sponsored disinformation, including through
the Global Engagement Center;
(iii) cyber threats;
(iv) the aggression and malign influence of Russia, Cuba,
Iran, North Korea, the Maduro Regime, and the Chinese
Communist Party's multi-faceted and comprehensive challenge
to the rules-based order;
(v) the implications of climate change for United States
diplomacy; and
(vi) nuclear threats.
(C) An examination of the likely advantages and
disadvantages of establishing residential training for the A-
100 orientation course administered by the Foreign Service
Institute and evaluating the feasibility of residential
training for other long-term training opportunities.
(D) An examination of the likely advantages and
disadvantages of establishing a press freedom curriculum for
the National Foreign Affairs Training Center that enables
Foreign Service officers to better understand issues of press
freedom and the tools that are available to help protect
journalists and promote freedom of the press norms, which may
include--
(i) the historic and current issues facing press freedom,
including countries of specific concern;
(ii) the Department of State's role in promoting press
freedom as an American value, a human rights issue, and a
national security imperative;
(iii) ways to incorporate press freedom promotion into
other aspects of diplomacy; and
(iv) existing tools to assist journalists in distress and
methods for engaging foreign governments and institutions on
behalf of individuals engaged in journalistic activity who
are at risk of harm.
(E) The expansion of external courses offered by the
Foreign Service Institute at academic institutions or
professional associations on specific topics, including in-
person and virtual courses on monitoring and evaluation,
audience analysis, and the use of emerging technologies in
diplomacy.
(3) Utilization of existing resources.--In examining the
advantages and disadvantages of establishing a residential
training program pursuant to paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary
of State shall--
(A) collaborate with other national security departments
and agencies that employ residential training for their
orientation courses; and
(B) consider using the Department of State's Foreign
Affairs Security Training Center in Blackstone, Virginia.
(i) Report and Briefing Requirements.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a
report to the appropriate committees of Congress that
includes--
(A) a strategy for broadening and deepening professional
development and training at the Department of State,
including assessing current and future needs for 21st century
diplomacy;
(B) the process used and resources needed to implement the
strategy referred to in subparagraph (A) throughout the
Department of State; and
(C) the results and impact of the strategy on the workforce
of the Department of State, particularly the relationship
between professional development and training and promotions
for Department personnel, and the measurement and evaluation
methods used to evaluate such results.
(2) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the Secretary of State submits the report required
under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter for 2 years, the
Secretary shall provide to the appropriate committees of
Congress a briefing on the information required to be
included in the report.
(j) Foreign Language Maintenance Incentive Program.--
(1) Authorization.--The Secretary of State is authorized to
establish and implement an incentive program, with a similar
structure as the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus offered
by the Department of Defense, to encourage members of the
Foreign Service who possess language proficiency in any of
the languages that qualify for additional incentive pay, as
determined by the Secretary, to maintain critical foreign
language skills.
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(2) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a
report to the appropriate committees of Congress that
includes a detailed plan for implementing the program
authorized under paragraph (1), including anticipated
resource requirements to carry out such program.
(k) Department of State Workforce Management.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
informed, data-driven, and long-term workforce management,
including with respect to the Foreign Service, the Civil
Service, locally employed staff, and contractors, is needed
to align diplomatic priorities with the appropriate personnel
and resources.
(2) Annual workforce report.--
(A) In general.--In order to understand the Department of
State's long-term trends with respect to its workforce, the
Secretary of State, is consultation with relevant bureaus and
offices, including the Bureau of Global Talent Management and
the Center for Analytics, shall submit a report to the
appropriate committees of Congress that details the
Department's workforce, disaggregated by Foreign Service,
Civil Service, locally employed staff, and contractors,
including, with respect to the reporting period--
(i) the number of personnel who were hired;
(ii) the number of personnel whose employment or contract
was terminated or who voluntarily left the Department of
State;
(iii) the number of personnel who were promoted, including
the grade to which they were promoted;
(iv) the demographic breakdown of personnel; and
(v) the distribution of the Department of State's workforce
based on domestic and overseas assignments, including a
breakdown of the number of personnel in geographic and
functional bureaus, and the number of personnel in overseas
missions by region.
(B) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
submit the report described in subparagraph (A) for each of
the fiscal years 2016 through 2022.
(C) Recurring report.--Not later than December 31, 2023,
and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the
Secretary of State shall submit the report described in
subparagraph (A) for the most recently concluded fiscal year.
(D) Use of report data.--The data in each of the reports
required under this paragraph shall be used by Congress, in
coordination with the Secretary of State, to inform
recommendations on the appropriate size and composition of
the Department of State.
(l) Sense of Congress on the Importance of Filling the
Position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public
Affairs.--It is the sense of Congress that since a vacancy in
the position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and
Public Affairs is detrimental to the national security
interests of the United States, the President should
expeditiously nominate a qualified individual to such
position whenever such vacancy occurs to ensure that the
bureaus reporting to such position are able to fulfill their
mission of--
(1) expanding and strengthening relationships between the
people of the United States and citizens of other countries;
and
(2) engaging, informing, and understanding the perspectives
of foreign audiences.
(m) Report on Public Diplomacy.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
State shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of
Congress that includes--
(1) an evaluation of the May 2019 merger of the Bureau of
Public Affairs and the Bureau of International Information
Programs into the Bureau of Global Public Affairs with
respect to--
(A) the efficacy of the current configuration of the
bureaus reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy
and Public Affairs in achieving the mission of the Department
of State;
(B) the metrics before and after such merger, including
personnel data, disaggregated by position and location,
content production, opinion polling, program evaluations, and
media appearances;
(C) the results of a survey of public diplomacy
practitioners to determine their opinion of the efficacy of
such merger and any adjustments that still need to be made;
(D) a plan for evaluating and monitoring, not less
frequently than once every 2 years, the programs, activities,
messaging, professional development efforts, and structure of
the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and submitting a summary
of each such evaluation to the appropriate committees of
Congress; and
(2) a review of recent outside recommendations for
modernizing diplomacy at the Department of State with respect
to public diplomacy efforts, including--
(A) efforts in each of the bureaus reporting to the Under
Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs to address
issues of diversity and inclusion in their work, structure,
data collection, programming, and personnel, including any
collaboration with the Chief Officer for Diversity and
Inclusion;
(B) proposals to collaborate with think tanks and academic
institutions working on public diplomacy issues to implement
recent outside recommendations; and
(C) additional authorizations and appropriations necessary
to implement such recommendations.
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