Political Quotes

“I rise in support of Marcia Bernicat to be the Director General of the foreign service at the U.S. Department of State. Our foreign service must have a leader that knows how to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. We need someone that understands the importance of modernizing the State Department workforce. We need someone who will prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to reflect our Nation's wide range of backgrounds. Ambassador Bernicat is that person. She is an experienced career member of the Senior Foreign Service who has a deep understanding of the inner-workings of the Department and valuable overseas experience. She has served as Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea Bissau and as Ambassador to Bangladesh. Both times before, this body confirmed her by voice vote. While serving as Ambassador to Bangladesh, she survived a terrorist attack on her motorcade, an experience that strengthened her resolve to keep Foreign Service Officers safe while serving abroad. She has also worked as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources. She speaks French, Hindi, and Russian and is a recipient of the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award. She has a master's degree in the science in foreign service at Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College. As a former Deputy Assistant Secretary working on human resources, she understands the personnel challenges facing the Department.…”