The Foreign Service Journal, September 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2015 83 AFSA NEWS On June 9, the Senate Foreign Relations Commit- tee voted the Department of State Operations Authoriza- tion and Embassy Security Act, Fiscal Year 2016, out of committee. The move is significant, as it brings the Congress one step closer to passing an authorization bill for State, something which has not happened since 2002. The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s markup of its 2015-2016 authorization is postponed at this time. AFSA has been working hard to advocate enactment of the authorization. Dur- ing the past several months, AFSA has visited more than three dozen offices on the Hill, hosted a congressional recep- tion and submitted testimony. While neither the Senate nor the House bill is perfect, each includes positive ele- ments. AFSA continues to engage House and Senate staff on the problematic issues. The Senate bill con- tains the following notable provisions: Section 304 calls for a report on special envoys, representatives, advisers and coordinators at State in an effort to identify and prevent duplicate responsibilities. Section 310 seeks to ensure that FS compensation AFSA ON THE HILL State Authorization Update levels are achieving the pur- poses of recruiting, retaining and maintaining a premier diplomatic corps. However, AFSA is concerned about the potential misuse of this provi- sion and its possible negative impact on the compensation packages of prospective FS members. Section 313 will bring more transparency into the chief of mission nomination process by requiring certifi- cates of demonstrated com- petence to be posted online. Section 314 instructs the Secretary to establish the right for employees to appeal any assignment restriction or preclusion. It also proposes to amend section 503(a)(2) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to ensure that mem- bers are not assigned to or restricted from a position on the basis of their race, ethnic- ity or religion. Sections 317, 318 and 319 promote equal opportunity for all races, ethnicities, ages, genders and service-disabled veterans; expansion of inter- national affairs and develop- ment fellowships available to minority students; and increased retention of mid- and senior-level profession- als from underrepresented groups. n —Javier Cuebas, Director of Advocacy ED I TOR I AL BOARD ’S SEPTEMBER SONG September saw the usual turnover in the Foreign Service Journal’s Editorial Board, as old members departed for new adventures and new blood arrived. The board has a new chair, State Foreign Service Officer Beth Payne, a continuing board member who took over the chair in June upon the departure of State FSO Jim DeHart, who was moving on to a position as deputy chief of mission in Oslo. Our other new members are USAID FSO James Bever, State Foreign Service Specialist Angela Bond and State FSOs Eric Green and Kara McDonald. In addition to Jim DeHart, departing members are Ruth Hall, Richard McKee and Maria Livingston. They will be missed. Happily, Maria has taken the position of associate editor of the Journal and editor of AFSA News. The all-volunteer board is comprised of active-duty and retired Foreign Service members, and is open to select representatives from all the foreign affairs agencies who are also members of AFSA. Editorial Board members are appointed by the AFSA Governing Board and meet each month to evaluate manuscripts, decide on future issue topics and help ensure that the Journal speaks effectively to the issues of importance to the Foreign Service. Those interested in serving on the board should keep an eye out for notices about upcoming vacancies, which are generally publicized every spring. Or, send a note of interest at any time to Editor Shawn Dorman at dorman@ afsa.org . n NEWS BRIEF