AFSA remains steadfast in its belief that anyone who takes a public stand on behalf of the Foreign Service should be thanked for doing so. On February 16, 2017, every Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Senator Chris Van Hollen, signed a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, urging him to respect and take advantage of the unique resource that is the Department’s Dissent Channel.

In their letter, the Senators offered glowing words for the Foreign Service:

“As Secretary of State you will be taking over as the leader of one of the most skilled, loyal, and motivated workforces of any organization on the planet. Our foreign affairs and development professionals are truly among the most dedicated of our public servants, on the front lines safeguarding our nation's security. As Members of the Foreign Relations Committee, we have benefitted greatly from their insight and counsel over the years."

We ask that you take the time to offer thanks to these Senators for their support of the career professional Foreign Service.

The Senators who signed the letters are listed below. Click on each Senator's name to send them a message.

• Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.)
• Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) (select 'Foreign Relations' as message topic)
• Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
• Chris Coons (D-Del.)
• Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
• Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) (select 'Foreign Affairs' as message topic)
• Tim Kaine (D-Va.) (select 'Foreign Relations' as message topic)
• Ed Markey (D-Mass.) (select 'Foreign Relations' as message topic)
• Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) (select the option to "share your opinions or comments on bills or other issues")
• Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
• Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) (available to Maryland residents only)

AFSA reminds active-duty Foreign Service employees that it is illegal to lobby Congress using official time or government resources, including your .gov email account. If you write or call your congressional representative, do not use government time or resources (such as a government computer, letterhead, stationary, telephone). If you meet in person with a congressional representative, you must take annual leave or schedule the meeting on your lunch hour. In addition, make clear that you are writing or speaking in your individual capacity as a constituent and not as a representative of your agency. Please make sure to read up on the Hatch Act (rules governing political activity by federal employees) before acting, in addition to the regulations in the Anti-Lobbying Act. Please feel free to write to us at policy@afsa.org with any questions or comments. Thank you.