Posted: 12:37 am ET
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On November 14, we heard SFRC Senators Corker and Cardin expressed clear dissatisfaction with the information they received from the State Department concerning the ongoing reorganization.
On November 15, Senators Shaheen and McCain wrote to Mr. Tillerson expressing concern over the continued hiring freeze and the depletion of the career corps. The Shaheen-McCain letter include three requests:
1) Consult with Congress prior to implementing any additional measures that could potentially have long-term impacts on the recruitment, staffing and retention of State Department personnel.
2) Remove the arbitrary hiring freeze on both lateral transfers and the intake of new Foreign Service and Civil Service officers to maintain a smooth, predictable flow of new talent.
3) Resume promotions for the best and the brightest to avoid losing our top officers.
The State Department’s non-partisan Foreign Service and Civil Service career professionals represent a unique national asset that belongs to all Americans. They are America’s front line, promoting our safety, security and prosperity, often in difficult and dangerous places. Their expertise, carefully cultivated over decades, is an integral part of our government’s national security architecture. While we support reasonable steps to improve the efficiency of the State Department, such efforts must be fully transparent, with the objective of enhancing, not diminishing, American diplomacy.
Full letter after the fold.
The depletion of experienced personnel at the State Dept is very troubling. @SenJohnMcCain & I have asked Sec Tillerson to remove hiring freeze, resume promotions & consult w/ Congress going forward. Our letter: pic.twitter.com/BcYhj1c1xW
— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) November 15, 2017
Sent a letter w/@SenatorShaheen to Sec Tillerson expressing concern over hiring freeze & depletion of the foreign service officers @StateDept. https://t.co/5urNg9Sj7X
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) November 15, 2017
“Tillerson has not been an effective voice to represent the State Department through reorganization."https://t.co/r6gbWdQh2E
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) November 15, 2017
"The Republican and Democratic heads of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the State Department’s staff cuts are endangering the nation." https://t.co/cNU1MYaQC5
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) November 15, 2017
AND NOW THIS —
Bob Corker: Savior of the @StateDept.https://t.co/CGMvGfvfY1
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) November 16, 2017
On the bright side, the story of how one of America’s best private sector executives spectacularly failed as a public sector executive will make for a very thought-provoking business school case study. https://t.co/kVvbulPmal
— Andrew Exum (@ExumAM) November 15, 2017
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