The Foreign Service Journal, December 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2019 69 AFSA ON THE HILL | BY KIM GREENPLATE Prosperity, Security and Global Power Competition As I have shared in my column over the past year and a half, the role of the Foreign Service in keeping Americans and U.S. busi- nesses prosperous has been the messaging theme we have used on Capitol Hill to promote bipartisan support for a forward-deployed For- eign Service overseas. The economic diplomacy works theme was also featured in the January/February 2019 edition of The Foreign Service Journal. AFSA’s initiative spurred the introduction of bills focused on strengthen- ing economic diplomacy, such as the Championing American Business Through Diplomacy Act of 2019, and resulted in strong appro- priations report language encouraging the State Department to consider moving mid-level Foreign Service officer positions to overseas posts. As you may recall, many posts were asked to space (give up) economic officer positions in support of the surge into Iraq and Afghani- stan, and these positions were never restored to their losing posts. From Fiscal Year 2018 to FY2019, AFSA’s efforts helped yield an $84 mil- lion increase in the appro- priation covering the cost of moving FSOs to posts overseas. We expect to see that appropriation increase again in FY2020. With full financial support and clear intent from Con- gress in FY2019 and likely again in FY2020, AFSA is determined to work with the State Department to finally get these positions back in the field. As AFSA solidifies the gains it has made on the economic diplomacy works initiative during the continu- ing FY2020 funding debates this fall, we are turning our focus to the complementary theme of Foreign Service contributions to national security. Diplomacy is our first line of defense, reduc- ing the need for expensive military intervention. The national security theme has the potential to develop the same success on Capitol Hill that AFSA found with the economic diplomacy works initiative. It bridges interest across several congressional com- mittees with jurisdiction (Homeland Security, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs/ Relations); and it has the ability to appeal to every dis- trict or state in the country on a bipartisan basis. All U.S. foreign affairs agencies can point to a direct impact on different facets of national security. For example, the Foreign Agricultural Service can point to its role in keeping South and Central American cattle herds—critical both to the U.S. food supply and the financial security of several American states—pest-free. As the Senate stated in its FY2020 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations report: “The United States is not the world’s policeman, but we are the glue that holds the world together.” The need for U.S. global leadership is the unifying, broad idea behind AFSA’s economic and national secu- rity themes. Congress has made clear it is motivated to prescribe and fund methods to face competition to U.S. global leadership. AFSA sought to help Con- gress answer its resonat- ing question: How will the United States compete in this era of great power com- petition? AFSA answered: by deploying the Foreign Ser- vice around the world where it can do the best work for the American people—allow- ing American business to flourish and keeping Ameri- cans safe at home. Together, Foreign Service contributions to American prosperity and national security under the umbrella of maintaining U.S. global leadership provide the bipartisan solution the Hill craves in a time of global power struggle. n AFSA’s initiative spurred the introduction of bills focused on strengthening economic diplomacy. AFSAGoverning Board Meeting, October 16, 2019 AFSA Legal Defense Fund Committee: AFSA Secretary Ken Kero-Mentz moved that the board approve the creation of the AFSA Legal Defense Fund Committee, consisting of five mem- bers. The motion was approved. Increased Member Dues: AFSA Treasurer Virginia Bennett moved to increase AFSA dues, as is done on an annual basis. The motion was approved. New FCS Representative: AFSA Foreign Commer- cial Services Vice President Jay Carreiro nominated Michael Calvert to serve as an FCS representative. The motion was passed. n