The Foreign Service Journal, November 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2018 75 The Race to the Midterms: What Will the Landscape Look Like? AFSA ON THE HILL | BY KIM GREENPLATE, DIRECTOR OF CONGRESSIONAL ADVOCACY Members of Congress have been busy on the campaign trail leading up to the Novem- ber midterm elections and are gearing up for the lame duck session upon return to Washington on Nov. 13. The most contentious deadline they will face is to find a suitable Fiscal Year 2019 government funding option for the remaining untouched appropriations bills—including State and Foreign Operations—that can pass both congressional chambers and be signed by the president. Remember that Congress rejected administration- proposed cuts and restored funding for international affairs in FY18. Under the current continuing resolu- tion passed at the end of September, foreign affairs (which includes both State and USAID) is funded at this same FY18 level. With many members feel- ing heat back home for the price tag and process associ- ated with the FY18 omnibus, Congress is determined not to push the decision into the spring—but the clock continues to tick as several key appropriations questions remain unanswered. With Election Day around the corner and a historic number of congressional retirements, AFSA has been tracking congressional races and preparing for a large freshman class. In the course of a few days in early Novem- ber, the control of both congressional chambers will be determined and the play- ing field for AFSA’s advocacy efforts will be much clearer. At least three of AFSA’s most-watched congressional committees will see new chairs and/or ranking mem- bers: the House Appropria- tions Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Rela- tions Committee. In anticipation of this turn- over, we have been building relationships with the poten- tial new leaders on these committees and working to identify the future congres- sional leadership generally as seniority among members plummets. In the next Congress, there will be, at most, just 45 senators who were in office before 2011. In the House next year, there will be, at most, 160 members—only about a third of the body— who were elected before the 2010 midterms. One of the things we have been discussing with lawmakers recently is the role of economic diplomacy in maintaining and enhancing American prosperity. During the past six months, more than a dozen congressional hearings have taken place on the topic of Chinese competi- tion or influence, and more are scheduled. Congress is searching for ways to arrest China’s commercial, eco- nomic and political gains at the expense of America’s global leadership. This is bound to become a central issue in the new Congress, and AFSA is ready to offer part of the solution: The For- eign Service is the ideal tool to level the playing field for American businesses—and, ultimately, economic diplo- The Foreign Service is the ideal tool to level the playing field for American businesses. macy enhances American prosperity. This theme rallies the business community and directly links the Foreign Service to a thriving U.S. economy. And by advancing practical solutions to what Congress views as a looming threat in need of attention, AFSA is also creating new champions on the Hill. n —Kim Greenplate, Director of Congressional Advocacy FSJ Editor Gives Lecture on Diplomacy On Sept. 20, Foreign Service Journal Editor Shawn Dorman was the guest lecturer for the University of Montana Freshman Seminar,“Global Issues and Public Diplomacy.”Associate Director of the Mansfield Center at the University of Montana and former FSO Deena Mansour launched this new course in September. As the guest lecturer, Dorman joined the class of about 20 students in Missoula through Zoom video conferencing. She spoke about the role of an embassy and the importance of diplomacy, offering examples from the field to illustrate the critical work of U.S. diplomats. DEENAMANSOUR