The Foreign Service Journal, September 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2018 15 A MESSAGE FROM THE HILL A Foreign Service for America BY JOAQU I N CASTRO rom the rise of China, expanded Russian aggression with the inva- sion and occupation of Ukraine and meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, to the testing of our interna- tional institutions like NATO and the European Union, America needs swift diplomacy that adapts to the growing chorus of challenges we face. To leverage opportunities and stem conventional and unconventional threats, the United States must renew confi- dence in our leadership, diplomacy and values abroad. At the core of this effort is a strengthened Foreign Service that maintains American engagement with our allies and promotes diplomacy and devel- opment in all corners of the world. But during the last year and a half, we have seen flagging commitment to this important and strategic goal. The Trump administration attempted to cut our diplomacy and development agen- cies by nearly one-third, but Congress pushed back on that. Congress must restore our commitment to advanc- ing American leadership abroad and equipping our diplomacy with the tools needed to best serve our interests. If we don’t, our Foreign Service officers—and our nation—will fall short in ensuring the prosperity and security of American ideals around the world. Since January 2017, the Trump administration has steadily attacked America’s diplomacy and develop- ment corps at the State Department and USAID. The hiring freeze, failure to appoint diplomats to critical positions, pushing senior diplomats out the door, alleged vetting of employees for loyalty to the president’s foreign policy agenda, consideration of offering $25,000 buy- outs to seasoned professionals (until Congress objected) and a mismanaged “redesign” led by then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson caused long-lasting dam- age to the nation’s diplomatic abilities. The mass exodus of high-level employ- ees crystalizes the current morale of the State Department, and this damage occurred at precisely the time we needed the expertise of our diplomats to address growing challenges. These cuts took place as North Korean missile tests flew over Japan, a country we are committed to defend by treaty; as the United States was called to mediate a dispute between Qatar and its Arab neighbors; as Beijing contin- ued its assault on a rules-based order by expanding its presence in the South China Sea; and as a newly sworn-in president needed to articulate a professional, well- designed foreign policy that maintained America’s voice on the world stage. Rebuilding Diplomacy We saw bipartisan pushback from Congress against the administration’s deep cuts to the State Department’s budget and workforce, and a mandate to restart A-100 classes and bring Foreign Service officers on board. We are now in the process of rebuild- ing this venerable American institution, which will require greater investment in core diplomatic capability, in our For- eign Service. If the administration and Secretary Mike Pompeo refuse to do so, Congress has a moral obligation to step in. These are our frontline civilians, and Congress must have the foresight to give them tools for success. If we don’t, we risk sending our sons and daughters into a much more dangerous situation than we see today. Unfortunately, we have been here before. The period after the end of the Cold War saw a drawdown at the State Depart- Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) represents Texas’ 20th district (San Antonio) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving his third term, Rep. Castro sits on the House Intelligence and For- eign Affairs Committees and is first vice chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Rep. Castro also serves as chief deputy whip and is a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He is also founding co-chair of the Congressional Pre-K Caucus, the U.S.- Japan Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on ASEAN. Rep. Castro also hosts the foreign policy podcast Diplomatic Cable. F