The Foreign Service Journal, May 2012

46 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / MA Y 2 0 1 2 A F S A N E W S A FSA welcomed Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Thomas R. Nides to its headquarters for a discussionwithmem- bers onMarch 15. This was his first offi- cial visit to AFSA and Nides made the most of the opportunity to address AFSA members, discussing issues rang- ing fromhis appreciation for the Foreign Service to the recently submitted Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal for interna- tional affairs spending. Deputy Secretary Nides began by expressing his admiration for the work performed each day by Foreign Service members around the world. He then shared the primary factor in his decision to work at the department: a persuasive phone call fromSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Recalling his initial surprise at being offered the position, he asked the Secretary what he would be doing. To knowing laughter from the audience, he recount- ed her answer: well, he would be mostly working on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Oh, and also the budget. Budget Candor The latter of those portfolios took up most of his presentation. Nides offered a candid viewof the budget process, which he called “screwy.” The federal govern- ment is always spending last year’s money, while seeking approval for the current year’s budget and preparing the next request. Referencing his background in business, Nides reflected that this process would never go very far outside government. Nides presented what he refers to as the “four truths” of the budget process: • The lack of a natural constituency for diplomacy and development. Though sympathetic tomembers of Congress who have to defend foreign affairs spending to their home constituents, he lamented the misperception that foreign affairs spend- ing amounts to 22 to 25 percent of the federal budget, when it is actually less than 1 percent. • Contrary to popular perception, there are a number of smart, focused support- ers of foreign affairs spending inCongress, in both houses and on both sides of the aisle. • Without the credibility and advoca- cy of Secretary Clinton, the foreign affairs agencies would have a much harder time on the Hill. • State, USAIDand other foreign affairs agencies have not done a good job when it comes to advocating for themselves and telling their story. Such outreach is cru- cial for continued resources and the cre- ation of a constituency. A Look at the Numbers Nides continued his discussion of the budget by pointing to the numbers: the FY 2012 approved budget for the inter- national affairs account contains about $50 billion. The fighting it took to get to that amount promptedNides to candid- ly call the current budget year “hellacious.” He pointed out that the FY 2013 bud- get request is about 1 percent higher than last year’s. However, given the realities of the economic situation—and the fact that this is a presidential election year— Nides believes that the overall federal budget will ultimately not be approved, so a continuing resolution will be required to keep spending at the current level. Before wrapping up, Nides took ques- tions from the audience on economic statecraft, advocacy and the perception that government employees, particular- ly in the State Department, lack sensitiv- ity about the economic climate. Pushing back hard on the latter issue, he praised the Foreign Service and Civil Service for their work. He singled out the “beyond heroic” staff at Embassy Baghdad, who no longer have the mili- tary for protection and are involved in the largest transition since theMarshall Plan. Following the Deputy Secretary’s departure, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for State Programs, Operations and Budget Barbara Retzlaff fielded additional questions on subjects ranging from con- tract employees in Iraq to overseas con- tingency operations. AFSA Hosts Deputy Secretary Nides BY ÁSGEIR SIGFÚSSON, AFSA MARKETING AND OUTREACH MANAGER On March 15, Ian Houston (left), AFSA’s executive director, and AFSA President Susan Johnson, wel- come Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides to the association’s headquarters for a discussion with members. ÁSGEIR SIGFÚSSON