THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 23 overseers—they try to share “early and often” operational activities, including failures. By leaning into the relationships, they have built trust over time. So while there can be disagreements and tension in their relationships, the defense and intelligence committees on the Hill work to understand the communities they oversee. By contrast, State is often reluctant to lean too far forward with its congressional committees, having learned that doing so can generate aggressive inquiries, congressional micromanagement, and nit-picking. At the same time, State’s congressional overseers do not know State. When the Secretary notified Congress of his intent to establish the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, the appropriations committees in both the House and Senate placed a hold on the notification. Over several months, I participated in multiple briefings with committees’ staff in which we had to explain some very basic principles about the State Department, how it was organized, and what benefits would be derived from bringing together disparate global health–focused staff into one bureau, under one leader. Congress’ State overseers demonstrated very little understanding of how State worked, and they did not trust the State officials trying to clarify and correct misunderstandings. State’s congressional overseers notoriously do not like the State Department, and the feeling is mutual.
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