66 OCTOBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA’s Good Works Congressional Advocacy To make the Foreign Service a more effective agent of U.S. international leadership, AFSA advocates on Capitol Hill for adequate resources for diplomatic readiness and for laws improving the quality of life of Foreign Service members and their families. AFSA’s congressional advocacy began in the 1970s when AFSA secured legislation establishing a Foreign Service grievance system to provide due process to those deprived of a right or benefit authorized by law or regulation. In 1982, AFSA hired its first congressional lobbyist. In 2002, AFSA formed a political action committee (PAC) to raise its profile on the Hill. There is a long list of legislation over the past half-century for which AFSA was the leading proponent or played a key advocacy role beginning with the creation of the FS grievance system in 1975. AFSA also helped secure the first of two decades of increased annual funding to upgrade embassy security following the terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998. The year after the attack, AFSA successfully negotiated for legislation to get law enforcement availability pay (LEAP) for Diplomatic Security special agents. In 2002, AFSA convinced Congress to authorize retirement credit for certain eligible family members (EFM) who performed part-time, intermittent, temporary (PIT) service abroad. That same year, AFSA helped convince Congress not to move the visa function to the Department of Homeland Security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Another big win occurred in 2003, when AFSA secured an exemption for Foreign Service members from capital gains taxation upon the sale of their primary residence after overseas service of up to 10 years. And in 2009, AFSA played a key role in the establishment of overseas comparability pay (OCP). Subsequently, AFSA has pushed for implementation and funding for the final third tranche of OCP to ensure Foreign Service members at the FS09-01 levels receive the equivalent of full D.C. locality pay when overseas. AFSA led four years of successful efforts during the previous presidential administration (2017-2021) to build bipartisan congressional support to block massive budget cuts to diplomacy and development. More recent AFSA advocacy wins include: blocking legislation that would have authorized a large mid-level entry program for the Foreign Service, and gaining parity with the military on a range of benefits, including in-state college tuition rate eligibility and the ability to break leases without financial penalties when given orders to serve overseas (both in 2021). AFSA helped Foreign Service families address mobile lifestyle concerns through 2022 legislation focused on spousal employment, including the authorization of locality pay for spouses serving on DETO (domestic employee teleworking overseas) agreements. And in 2023, AFSA secured a Fly America Act exception for State Department employees traveling with pets if the domestic airline will not take the pet. AFSA’s efforts are necessarily bipartisan—seeking support from authorizers and appropriators on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Key to success is AFSA’s ability to speak independently on behalf of the Foreign Service. With nearly 80 percent of Foreign Service members belonging to AFSA, we are seen as the voice of career diplomats and development officers. We bring to our Hill engagements firsthand insights on frontline diplomacy along with authoritative facts on staffing and conditions of service. Advocacy on governmentwide issues that affect both Foreign Service and Civil Service employees takes place via AFSA’s membership in the Federal-Postal Coalition. That group is made up of 30 organizations, including the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and the large civil service unions, and represents 2.7 million federal employees and 2.6 million federal retirees, with members in every congressional district. The coalition sends letters to Congress, with AFSA as cosigner, and holds monthly meetings, with AFSA participation, to plan advocacy efforts. Coalition members frequently meet with lawmakers on various concerns shared by federal employees. In the past few years, AFSA has expanded its legislative advocacy to the state level. Often assisted by local retirees, AFSA has lobbied several state legislatures on issues ranging from flexibility in driver’s license renewals to exempting Foreign Service pensions from state taxation. Those efforts have been focused on states that already provide such benefits to members of the uniformed military. Facing likely pressures in the coming years, AFSA will urge Congress to reject budget cuts that would cripple the Foreign Service and hinder America’s ability to compete globally. AFSA will continue to safeguard the nonpartisan nature of our Service. n —John K. Naland AFSA’s Good Works Each edition during our centennial year, The Foreign Service Journal is profiling an AFSA program that advances the collective or individual interests of its members. In this edition, we feature congressional advocacy. AFSA’S GOOD WORKS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=