The Foreign Service Journal, June 2021

18 JUNE 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL In acknowledging the award, the State Department said it is “dedicated to advancing workforce diversity” and cited its new Access Center, a 2,400-square- foot space in Columbia Plaza near the State’s SA-1 Building inWashington, D.C., that opened in 2020. The center offers employees with disabilities the chance to test cutting-edge assistive technologies. A February 2020 State Magazine feature about the center notes that nearly 24 percent of full-time American workers suffer from a disability. At State, people with disabilities make up 12.2 percent of the workforce. Americans Confident in Biden Foreign Policy A majority of Americans are confident in President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy as he started his term, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Feb. 24. Pew found that 60 percent of Ameri- can adults have confidence in Biden on foreign policy, but this varies sharply by party. Among Democrats and Demo- cratic-leaning independents 88 percent expressed confidence in Biden, com- pared to 27 percent of Republicans and those leaning Republican. The Pew survey of nearly 2,600 Americans also found that 69 percent of respondents think Biden’s leadership will make other countries view the United States favorably. Nearly two-thirds also say the United States benefits from par- ticipating in international organizations such as the World Health Organization, NATO and the United Nations, and 78 percent say they want the United States to share a leadership role in the world. The foreign policy priorities for Americans include protecting the jobs of American workers, reducing the spread of infectious diseases and pro- tecting the United States from terrorist attacks, Pew found. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Cameron Woodworth and Shawn Dorman. A Crucial Time for Diplomacy This is a crucial time for American diplomacy. From competition with China and the threat of climate change, to record numbers of displaced people and backsliding of democracies, the chal- lenges our nation faces are daunting. But solving them is made even more difficult by our nation’s crumbling infrastructure of diplomacy. First and foremost, the State Department and the Foreign Service. Although some of the issues at the State Department predated the Trump administration, they were made much worse over the last four years. In short, I believe we’re facing a generational crisis in American diplomacy. That’s why I began to focus on how we can renew U.S. diplomacy by rebuilding our State Depart- ment to meet the challenges of the 21st century. —U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), at the Meridian Diplomacy Forum, April 16. Nominations Hearings I have spoken often about the pivotal foreign policy chal- lenges facing our country and the State Department, and this hearing will be no different. If confirmed, both of you will confront serious issues and challenges at a department in need of repair and rebuilding. I’m heartened by the Biden administration’s emphasis on nominating knowledgeable and seasoned leaders with rich foreign policy experience. —Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at an April 28 nominations hearing. Rebuild Trust It is also critical that this administration recognize the interdependence between arms control and nuclear modernization, as explicitly codified in the ratification of the new START treaty. Trust must be rebuilt between Congress and the executive. To rebuild this trust, the Biden adminis- tration must commit to a full modernization of the nuclear triad and nuclear weapons complex. This is vital to reassure our allies who have forgone developing nuclear weapons and instead rely on our nuclear umbrella that we provide for them. Dismantling our capabilities while our adversaries build their stockpiles is inherently destabilizing and under- mines international security. —Senator James Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at an April 28 nominations hearing. HEARD ON THE HILL JOSH