Political Quotes

“I thank the chairwoman for including my amendment in this en bloc. As a co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition's National Security Task Force and as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I rise to express my serious concern over the continued high-level vacancies across the State Department. U.S. Foreign Service officers work to promote U.S. interests, values, and economic interests abroad, and these dedicated public servants keep American families safe. But their mission could be jeopardized by persistent vacancies in the Foreign Service and senior leadership positions. According to a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, 13 percent of Foreign Service positions were vacant as of March 2018. At a time when we are engaged in constant competition with powerful adversaries, our servicemembers remain engaged in seemingly endless conflicts, and we face the threat of terrorism, these staffing shortages are deeply concerning. Our transfer amendment urges the State Department to make every effort to fill critical positions and encourages the GAO to expand its study to consider the impact of vacancies in career and political- appointed positions on U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy, aid, and national security priorities.”