The Foreign Service Journal, November 2011

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 29 process is much too valuable to be left to administrative discretion. 2. The Secretary of State should vigorously implement the reforms and recommendations of the first QDDR that do not require legislation, and with equal vigor pur- sue any additional authorizations and appropriations that are necessary to proceed. 3. The Secretary should designate a single senior offi- cial to be responsible for implementation of the QDDR. The Time for Action Is Now In the months that have passed since the Foreign Af- fairs Council’s assessment, the national budget situation has become more acute. AFSA and the American Acad- emy of Diplomacy have adopted a “people first” strategy. Both organizations are urging the chairs and ranking members on the appropriations committees in both houses of Congress to take any necessary reductions in the 150 Account from programs and not from the per- sonnel side of the budget. There is some support for this approach, and that should be built upon. The department appears to be taking a different ap- proach. The new position numbers requested in the FY 2011 and 2012 budgets are pretty anemic, and would not come close to the Secretary’s announced goal of a 25-per- cent increase in Foreign Service positions by FY 2014. In response to the tough line the House of Representa- tives is taking on further requests for State and USAID personnel increases, the Secretary seems to be pre-emp- tively capitulating. Secretary Clinton has only the FY 2013 budget left to sustain her legacy. I strongly urge her to request the 1,250 Foreign Service positions at State and the 650 USAID positions that would complete the original Diplomacy 3.0 goals. It is not certain that this initiative would be totally rejected. But even if it is, it would be better to go down “with all guns blazing” than with a measly pro forma request. At the very least, such a budget request would provide guidance for a future Sec- retary of State. C OVER S TORY