The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

18 JULY-AUGUST 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL statement, “The Strength of America’s Apolitical Military,” follow. “We deplore the brutal killing of George Floyd by police officers in Min- neapolis which has provoked more wide- spread protests than the United States has seen in decades. …We are alarmed by calls from the President and some political leaders for the use of U.S. mili- tary personnel to end legitimate protests in cities and towns across America. “Many of us served across the globe, including in war zones, diplomats and military officers working side by side to advance American interests and val- ues. We called out violations of human rights and the authoritarian regimes that deployed their military against their own citizens. Our values define us as a nation and as a global leader. “The professionalism and political neu- trality of the U.S. military have been exam- ples for people around the world who aspire to greater freedom and democracy in their own societies. …We condemn all criminal acts against persons and prop- erty, but cannot agree that responding to these acts is beyond the capabilities of local and state authorities. … “Misuse of the military for political purposes would weaken the fabric of our democracy, denigrate those who serve in uniform to protect and defend the Con- stitution, and undermine our nation’s strength abroad. “We urge the President and state and local governments to focus their efforts on uniting the country and supporting reforms to ensure equal police treatment of all citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity.” Taxpayer-Funded Madison Dinners S ecretary Pompeo came under fire in May for hosting two dozen elite but unofficial dinners at the State Department over the past 18 months, funded by tax- payers, according to a May 19 NBC report. The so-called “Madison Dinners,” held in the State Department’s public recep- tion rooms, featured dozens of Republi- can donors as well as billionaire CEOs, several conservative Supreme Court jus- tices, members of Congress (Republican only), conservative media leaders and a few foreign ambassadors. The events were not recorded on the Secretary’s official schedule. State Department officials involved in the dinners said they had raised concerns internally that the events were essentially using federal resources to cultivate a donor and supporter base for Pompeo’s political ambition, NBC News reported. The chairs of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Commit- tee, concerned over “potential abuses,” demanded extensive documents from the State Department about the Madison Dinners, NBC News reported on May 21. USAID Restricts Purchase of PPE E ven as the United States has com- mitted $900 million of pandemic assistance to 120 countries, USAID has informed grant recipients that they may not use federal money to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) without specific approval, according to a May 13 National Public Radio report. In February, the United States had sent 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies, including masks and gowns, to China, NPR reported. But in an April 7 press conference, Sec- retary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States would no longer ship PPE out of the United States. “Right now, given the great need for PPE in our own country, our focus will be AFSPA afspa.org Chambers Theory chamberstheory.com Clements Worldwide clements.com/MissionsAbroad Corporate Apartment Specialist corporateapartments.com Federal Employee Protection Systems fedsprotection.com Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service, ISD casestudies.isd. georgetown.edu Property Specialists, Inc. propertyspecialistsinc.com Richey Property Management richeypm.com WJD Management wjdpm.com