[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S7181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARDIN:
  S. 5581. A bill to strengthen and expand efforts to identify, 
include, and advance untapped potential in the United States' 
international affairs workforce to strengthen national security, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I come to the floor today to introduce 
the American Foreign Affairs Talent Expansion Act, or the American FATE 
Act, legislation that can serve as a blueprint for my colleagues who 
hope to promote diversity in diplomacy and development in the future.
  Throughout our Nation's history, the diplomats who have conducted our 
foreign policy and diplomacy have never represented the full spectrum 
of the population of the United States.
  While the Biden administration has made important strides in changing 
this dynamic, the senior ranks of the Department of State and many of 
our international affairs Agencies still fit the old ``pale, male, and 
Yale'' description.
  This is certainly nothing new, and that is why for close to two 
decades, I have led and supported legislative and other efforts to 
strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion in our international 
affairs and national security institutions and Agencies.
  From the Biden administration's equality and racial equity Executive 
orders to my own introduction of the 2019 National Security Diversity 
and Inclusion Workforce Act and recurring annual appropriations 
requests, I have fought for underserved and marginalized communities 
throughout my Senate career.
  That includes serving as the Organization for Security Cooperation in 
Europe Parliamentary Assembly's inaugural Special Representative on 
Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for 57 countries.
  I have supported the placement of chief diversity officers at our 
foreign affairs Agencies.
  I have backed career pipelines named after former colleagues like the 
State Department Charles Rangel and USAID Donald Payne Fellowship 
Programs.
  I have pushed for partnership opportunities with historically black 
colleges and universities and minority businesses.
  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which I chair, has shaped a 
values-based foreign policy built upon diverse expertise.
  Whether it is our State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and 
Combat Antisemitism or the Special Representative for Racial Equity and 
Justice or establishing a transatlantic institute focused on 
representation and inclusion honoring former colleague Representative 
Alcee L. Hastings, the proof is in the pudding, and the advances we 
have made span both sides of the aisle.
  Senator Marco Rubio, a longtime member of the committee, is nominated 
to be the next Secretary of State and, if confirmed, will be the first 
Latino to serve in this role.
  My successor, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, is continuing to make history 
by shattering yet another glass ceiling as the first woman in 
leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  As far as we have come, however, we still have a way to go.
  The legislation I am introducing today creates a framework for the 
future.
  It will uphold the principles of the merit system in international 
affairs Agency recruitment, hiring, promotion, and leadership 
practices, including fair and equitable treatment of personnel without 
regard to political affiliation.
  It will strengthen career pipelines by expanding paid internships and 
midcareer employment opportunities in the Foreign Service.
  It commends the work of our locally employed staff at our embassies 
and bolsters efforts to retain top talent in the United States and 
overseas.
  It will expand business, research, and partnership opportunities, 
including opportunities for historically Black colleges and 
universities and other minority-serving institutions.
  And it will strengthen equity and anti-discrimination efforts 
overseas.
  The promise of equal opportunity for all is enshrined in our 
Constitution and intrinsic to American values.
  Our Nation's rich cultural diversity is a strength that should be at 
the heart of how we conduct diplomacy and development efforts overseas.
  So, before I leave the Senate, I call on my Democratic and Republican 
colleagues to bring our country together to ensure all perspectives and 
voices are heard.
  I urge my colleagues to continue to advance American values by 
codifying diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in our 
international affairs and national security infrastructure and overseas 
policies.

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