The Chinese foreign ministry has said the US requested its Houston consulate stop events and move employees out by July 24. Beijing also alleges the US confiscated and opened Chinese diplomatic pouches in October and June.
BREAKING: The U.S. government abruptly ordered China to close its consulate in Houston in an “unprecedented escalation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry says https://t.co/xjtt1DYCb4pic.twitter.com/5I7jBHE2Mx
Houston officials say official documents are being burned in the courtyard of the Chinese Consulate, and first responders are not being allowed in to put out the fire. https://t.co/LQL0JAopXC
HFAC/Oversight and Investigations Committee July21, 202010:00AM
Witnesses
Ian Brownlee
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Karin King
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Overseas Citizen Services
U.S. Department of State
The State Department projected a $1.4 billion loss which is about 50 percent of Consular Affair’s revenue this fiscal year (ending September 30, 2020). It is also facing comparable losses in FY2021 and FY2022.
This is a big deal.
PDAS Brownlee told the committee that CA is looking at $359M savings from FY2020 — he talked about significant reduction in this year’s spending but only cited contractors in visa waiting rooms, and a number other unspecified projects domestic and overseas that would be impacted. He did say that services for American citizens “will not be put out of business.”
Where are we going to see funding cuts?
The reality though is consular fees do not just fund visa operations overseas but also passport operations domestic and overseas. It also funds various parts of the State Department. And most notably, it funds 4,859 U.S. Direct Hire personnel under Consular Affairs and “partner bureau positions.” A $1.4 billion loss this fiscal year and in each of FY2021 and FY2022 will have a cascading effect in various parts of the organization.
Revenues from Department-retained consular fees and surcharges fund Consular and Border Security Program (CBSP) activities. The State Department’s congressional justification in FY 2020 for CBSP funding includes the following:
Consular Systems and Technology: $453.4 million
Domestic Executive Support: $34.3 million
Fraud Prevention Programs: $5.4 million
Visa Processing: $237.5 million
Passport Directorate: $810.3 million
American Citizen Services: $16.2 million
Consular Affairs Overseas Support: $964.6 million
FSN Separation Liability Trust Fund: $4.9 million
CBSP SUPPORT/DEPARTMENT OF STATE PARTNERS: $524.3 million
Bureau of Administration: $53.8 million
Bureau of Diplomatic Security: $66.3 million
Foreign Service Institute: $25.9 million
Bureau of Information Resource Management: $58.3 million
Office of the Legal Advisor: $0.3 million
Bureau of Overseas Building Operations: $264.4 million
Repatriation Loans: $0.8 million
Comptroller and Global Financial Services (CGFS): $1.0 million
Confidential Investigations: $0.2 million
Post Assignment Travel: $39.1 million
Bureau of Human Resources: $13.9 million
CBSP STAFF / AMERICAN SALARIES: $703.5 million
Human resources are a vital component of CBSP activities. The Department devotes a significant amount of effort and resources towards increasing efficiency and capacity in the visa and passport processes, ensuring adequate staffing levels both domestically and overseas. The FY 2020 Request of $703.5 million, a $58.7 million increase from the FY 2019 Request, supports 4,859 U.S. Direct Hire personnel. These positions are primarily in the Bureau of Consular Affairs but also include CBSP-funded partner bureau positions. This increase restores the eight percent reduction included in the FY 2019 President’s Budget Request and annualizes costs associated with the Department’s FY 2018 and proposed FY 2019 Strategic Hiring Plans.
You must be logged in to post a comment.