Senators John McCain and Jeanne Shaheen warned Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday that recent staffing decisions at the US State Department could “threaten to undermine the long-term health and effectiveness of American diplomacy.”
In a letter to Tillerson, the Republican and Democrat lawmakers expressed concerns over a recent halt in the hiring of new foreign service officers — a move they say will result in a lack of experienced personnel in the future.
McCain and Shaheen recommended that Tillerson take the following actions:
Consult with Congress prior to implementing any additional measures that could potentially have long-term impacts on recruitment, staffing and retention at the State department.
Remove the arbitrary hiring freeze on both lateral transfers and the intake of new foreign service and civil service officers to maintain a smooth, predictable flow of new talent.
Resume promotions for the best and the brightest to avoid losing top officers.
Last week, the head of an organization representing US diplomats around the world excoriated the State Department’s leadership in a letter, saying the agency’s senior tiers “are being depleted at a dizzying speed,” resulting in “a decapitation of its leadership ranks.”
Amb. Barbara Stephenson, president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a union for US foreign service personnel, wrote the letter for the December issue of the group’s publication.
“While I do my best, as principal advocate for our institution and as a seasoned American diplomat, to model responsible, civil discourse,” she wrote, “there is simply no denying the warning signs that point to mounting threats to our institution — and to the global leadership that depends on us.”
Career ambassadors are the most elite US diplomats in the foreign service. Fewer than 60 individuals have attained the rank since it was instituted in 1955. Of the five people who held the rank at the beginning of the administration, three have since retired.
In her letter, Stephenson lamented the department’s partial hiring freeze, which has slowed the intake of junior foreign service officers.
“As the shape and extent of the staffing cuts to the Foreign Service at State become clearer,” Stephenson wrote, “I believe we must shine a light on these disturbing trends and ask ‘why?’ and ‘to what end?'”
Stephenson did not single out Tillerson or President Donald Trump in the letter, but said that “the need to make the case for the Foreign Service with fellow Americans and our elected representatives has taken on a new urgency.”
The State Department is attributing the recent dip to its ongoing reorganization effort.