Minority Employees Slam House Dem Plan To Boost Diversity at State Department The State Department building / Getty Images Alana Goodman • May 25, 2021 4:30 pm
Minority employees and union leaders say a House Democratic plan to boost diversity hiring at the State Department will crush workforce morale and drive staffers out of the agency, according to correspondence obtained by the
Washington Free Beacon.
The bill, which the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved for advancement last week, would require the State Department to recruit minority candidates from outside of the foreign service for mid-level positions allowing these hires to bypass the typical foreign service officer career path, which starts at the entry level. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.) and has 71 cosponsors, 70 of whom are Democrats.
Location: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building and virtually via Cisco WebEx
H.R. 922, Crimea Annexation Non-Recognition Act
H.R. 2785, Energy Resource Governance Initiative Act of 2021
H.R. -, to repeal the 1991 Authorization for the Use of Military Force against Iraq Resolution
H.R. -, to repeal the 1957 Middle East Use of Force Authorization
H.Res. -, urging the Government of El Salvador to respect the country’s democratic institutions
H.R. 2329, Countering Chinese Communist Party Malign Influence Act
H.R. 1096, Represent America Abroad Act of 2021
H.R. 1135, LITE Act
Global 360’s Anna Gawel and Eric Ham talk to Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the Represent America Abroad Act of 2021, the legislation she recently re-introduced to diversify the U.S. Foreign Service.
According to the American Academy of Diplomacy, out of 189 U.S. ambassadors serving abroad last year, only three were African American career diplomats, and just four were Hispanic.
And last year, a first-of-its-kind government report found that between fiscal 2002 and 2018, the proportion of racial or ethnic minorities working full time at the State Department only rose by 4% from an already low 28%.
Bass discusses her efforts to make America’s Foreign Service look more like the rest of America.
Rep. Bass Introduces Legislation To Increase Diversity Within State Department
By Sentinel News Service
Published February 25, 2021
Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human rights, re-introduced the Represent America Abroad Act of 2021 to ensure that the U.S. Foreign Service reflects the rich composition of the American citizenry. The legislation establishes a program to identify, attract and welcome diverse mid-career professionals into the Foreign Service.
During the 116th Congress, the Represent America Abroad Act in 2020 received bipartisan support and was co-sponsored by 117 Members of Congress. The bill was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a unanimous voice vote last year.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations. The vote was 78-20.
President Joe Biden tapped Thomas-Greenfield, a Foreign Service veteran, to join his cabinet early on. The diplomat formerly served as assistant secretary of state for African affairs in the State Department from 2013-2017.
One member of Congress praised Thomas Greenfield for a career dedicated to bolstering America’s standing in the world.
“We traveled to the continent together many times and I’ve always admired her leadership,” said Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights. “I am so proud of her confirmation today and eagerly look forward to working with her in this new role. This confirmation sends a message that the United States is back and that our foreign service is back.”