The Foreign Service Journal, March 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2019 19 The real concern is China. The last few decades have convinced us that China in the 21st century … is going to be a major competi- tor of ours in every way that there is. Obvi- ously economically and militarily, culturally and in every other way. …We as the United States are going to wind up having to compete like we never have before with a gorilla that’s starting to get about the same size we are. We’re going to have to learn to deal with that. The thing I really want to focus on is how we are going to deal with that. We’re Americans. We have always competed. We can compete. We innovate. We create. We manufacture. We do the great things we do that have really led the world, but we can only do it if we are operating under a rule of law. And that is something that is currently missing at the present time as China tries to compete with us. —Senator James Risch (R-Idaho), Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on China and Russia, Jan. 29. The American public has gotten very good whenever they think of the status of wars abroad and thanking our men and women who serve in the military, and we’re not as good at thanking our other civil servants who work with difficult positions abroad. They post to the places where they can’t take their family, and some of you in the panel have taken such posts. So I think your work in this new position is to advocate for the needs of wonderful public servants. —Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), at Ambassador Carol Perez confirmation hearing, Dec. 4. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my gratitude for the service and sacrifice of America’s diplomats and to stress that a robust American diplomatic presence around the world is in our nation’s interests, especially as our adversaries gain commer- cial, economic and political ground. There is no substitute for brave, dedicated people in the field, and I would like to see us strengthen that key asset. We are one of the few nations on earth with a truly global diplomatic presence. Since the founding of our country, our diplomats have advanced American interests in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on earth. These profes- sionals defend our national security, enforce our laws and protect our fellow citizens overseas, often at great risk to themselves. Our embassies and consulates are platforms of U.S. influence and vigilance, and our diplomats are often the first to spot threats to our national security. Their work abroad benefits Americans at home. Consider that an emergency invest- ment in West Africa’s health stopped cold what would have been an emerging Ebola pandemic a few years ago. Elsewhere, Foreign Service officers work alongside the military to keep weapons of mass destruc- tion out of the hands of terrorists. A strong diplomatic footprint is also necessary for U.S. businesses to be able to compete successfully in challenging and complex markets. It is no surprise that the business community has written to the Secretary of State to say it counts on American diplomats around the world to compete in the global marketplace—and to urge the State Department to send more diplomats to the field with the mission of advancing America’s commercial interests. I commend Secretary Pompeo for announcing his vision of putting America’s diplomats in “every corner, every stretch of the world,” and urge him to continue the work he has initi- ated to enhance America’s diplomatic strength. But above all, I want to thank the men and women of the Department of State and United States Agency for Interna- tional Development for their faithful service to our nation. I have been honored to meet so many of our nation’s diplo- mats and their family members in every corner of the globe in my 26 years in Congress, including six years as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I have seen firsthand the positive and lasting impact their work has on all Ameri- cans, and I am personally grateful for the sacrifice they make each day in the service of our nation. Mr. Speaker, no matter the day or time, the men and women of the United States Foreign Service are promoting our interests and defending our security around the globe. Let us commit ourselves to supporting the crucial work they do on behalf of all Americans. —Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Dec. 6. Heard on the Hill JOSH