The Foreign Service Journal, May 2018

16 MAY 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL There has long been bipartisan consensus that our country is safer, stronger and more prosperous when America leads. As conflicts destabilize regions and threaten the lives of millions around the world, American global leadership is needed now more than ever before—not only to save lives abroad, but to keep us safe here at home. Remaining a force for good in the world takes a fully funded, fully staffed State Department and develop- ment agencies. —Representative David Price (D-N.C.) , at a meeting with Raleigh business and community leaders on March 27. Everything we do in EUCOM [U.S. European Command], we look at it as an interagency activity. Generally with State in the lead, as diplomacy leads, is the way that we work here in a democracy. So everything I do, we look at from a whole-of- government approach. And in each country, our objective is to support the ambassador and the ambassador’s country team in that country. So a reduction of their abilities would not be positive. —General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander of EUCOM, at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services on March 8. Our country’s standing in the world has been on the decline over the past decade or more, and that certainly continues. Throughout the 20th century, our allies viewed the United States as a reliable partner and a source of stability, a friend whose ideals and leader- ship made our world a better place. Unfor- tunately today we are not counted on as we once were. The chasm between what our leaders say and the actions that they take can have a devastating impact. … In order to execute foreign policy effectively, the Secretary must have a fully functional department behind him. —Senator Bob Corker (R-Ky.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from his statement opening the Pompeo confirmation hearing on April 12. Heard on the Hill JOSH I havemet hundreds of State Department employees. I know them. And in the past fewweeks I have had a chance tomeet dozens and dozens more. To a person they expressed tome their hope to be empowered in their roles and to have a clear understanding of the president’s mission. That will be my first priority. They’ve also shared how demoralizing it is to have some vacan- cies and, frankly, not to feel relevant. I will domy part to end those vacancies; I will need your [Congress’] help. And I will work every day to provide dedicated leadership and conveymy faith in their work, their professionalism. —Mike Pompeo, nominee for Secretary of State, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 12. Contemporary Quote Thomas Countryman, who had served as assistant secretary of State for international security and nonproliferation; Ambas- sador (ret.) Ryan Crocker, ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon; Ambassador (ret.)Thomas Pickering, undersecretary of State for political affairs and ambassador to Israel, Russia, India, El Salvador, Nigeria, Jordan and the United Nations; and Ambassador (ret.) Patrick F. Kennedy, undersecretary of State for management. Military officers who signed the letter include U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General (ret.) James Clapper, a former director of national intelligence, and USAF General (ret.) Michael Hayden, a former director of the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. Former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela- tions Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) also signed the letter, as did former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Sam Nunn (D-Ga.). Those named here join a small group of administration officials, including Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford, who have advised the administration to remain in the deal. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Donna Gorman, Shawn Dorman and Susan Maitra.