The Foreign Service Journal, December 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2014 47 AFSA NEWS AFSA ON THE HILL AFSAAdvocacy for Ambassadorial Nominees Builds Relationships on the Hill As the “Voice of the Foreign Service,”AFSA addresses issues of importance to our members working around the world. These advocacy e’orts include such issues as over- seas comparability pay, safety and security, U.S. state taxes and pet travel policies. AFSA’s sta’ and elected leadership work diligently to clearly communicate our positions on Capitol Hill and with local ožcials, as well as with theWhite House and the leadership of the foreign a’airs agencies. As diverse as the issues are, so are the ways we seek to resolve them—through meetings and negotiations, by partnering with other organizations to amplify our message, through calls to action where we ask members to express their concern on particular issues, or through bringing public attention to a problem.We use the approach that will produce the best pos- sible outcome for the Foreign Service. Earlier this year, one issue on our list of concerns cap- tured media and public atten- tion: the backlog of career ambassadorial nominees awaiting confirmation in the United States Senate. As AFSA regularly tracks the nominations and confir- mations for these positions, we noticed the ballooning number of unfilled ambassa- dorial-level positions.We also heard from our members, both nominees themselves and those serving at mis- sions around the world, about the impact and scope of the problem. AFSA took this opportunity to remind senators and their sta’ of the importance of the work done by ambassadors— as leaders of embassy sta’, as representatives of the Ameri- can people and as diplomats. We felt strongly that we could not allow the impor- tance of these positions to be called into question, which was the e’ect of delaying confirmations. A chief of mission is the highest ranking executive at post and one of the most senior positions to which members aspire. Over the last several months, we’ve had numerous meetings with U.S. Senators and their sta’s, during which we’ve made the following points: • Though our members work diligently in the absence of a confirmed ambassador, the strain is great.We’ve heard frommany of you about the stress and disruption this has caused. •While waiting for the new chief of mission, many initiatives—and the ožcers working on them—find them- selves in a holding pattern, which, over time, may have a negative impact on embassy morale. • Our members know bet- ter than anyone the impor- tance of building relationships with host-country counter- parts and conversely, the damage done by the message sent by vacant chief-of-mis- sion positions. As foreign a’airs experts, our members know how important it is for the U.S. to have its full complement of diplomats when addressing the major issues in a crisis, ironing out details of a trade agreement or building an alliance to contend with a common enemy. They spend much time trying to explain to host country interlocu- tors why they don’t have an ambassador but can’t over- come the skepticism. • Our members also watch as other countries with ambassadors get the access they may not be able to get; and as other countries’ busi- nesses and investors go on the o’ensive. (China, Russia, Brazil build key business rela- tionships in growing econo- mies in Africa, while we stand on the sidelines.) • Failing to act on these nominations suggests that our country’s leadership does not value the contributions of those at the top ranks of the Foreign Service or the impor- tance of diplomacy. In our meetings on the Hill we have also made clear that this cannot become “the new normal” for confirmations, and that these positions—and the career nominees chosen to fill them—cannot be used as political pawns. We do believe, however, that because of the strong support the Foreign Service has enjoyed from both sides of the aisle, the situation will be resolved. AFSA has used the oppor- tunity presented by this public discussion to build important relationships on Capitol Hill, as well as with new partners in the business community and the military. These relationships will have a long-term, positive impact for our members as we move forward on this and many other key issues by building AFSA brand aware- ness and enhancing the understanding of the crucial work done by the women and men of the Foreign Service. Advocacy is cumulative and holistic. Communication and advocacy work hand-in- glove to represent the inter- ests of our members. Should you have any suggestions or questions, or if you are interested in knowing more about or taking action on this or other topics impacting members of the Foreign Ser- vice and their families, please contact us at advocacy@afsa . org. n —Javier Cuebas, Director of Advocacy Kristen Fernekes, Director of Communications