Political Quotes

“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.…”