WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled, "Reforming the State Department to Compete in the 21st Century".
"Secretary Rigas, thank you for being here with us. I know it’s not easy, but change is necessary, and moving the needle within the State Department bureaucracy is no small feat.
"President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and you have listened to the American people’s desire for government accountability, and have seized on this moment to make once-in-a-generation changes to a State Department that was stuck in the 20th century.
"It is no accident that the last major reorganization took place under a previous Republican administration, led by President Bush with Secretary Colin Powell leading the State Department reform effort.
"At the time, Secretary Powell was fighting to get computers on desks and employees to use their email. The challenges this Administration faces are arguably bigger. After decades of State Department bloat and waste, your team is pushing the Department to be leaner and more agile. Where America used to be the world’s ATM, this Administration is focused on how to responsibly use taxpayer dollars and rein in national debt, all the while outcompeting our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.
"The State Department reorganization plan that Secretary Rubio has shared with Congress is a good start and sorely needed.
"I hope it is just this Administration’s first step towards building a more effective U.S. foreign policy that is responsive to the needs of the American people.
"With that said, I hope that any reductions in force strongly focus on performance while ensuring that the Department’s best and brightest—personnel who rival any diplomatic service in the world—don’t just stay at the State Department, but thrive there.
"There are a few areas I remain concerned about. The Office of the Sanctions Coordinator and role of science, tech, and cyber at the State Department are not focused properly and need to be reworked.
"Mr. Rigas, as you know, rather than making hires or promotions based on merit and effectiveness, the Department under the previous administration created new diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility requirements that distracted from their core mission, undermined morale, and created an unfair process for promotions and performance evaluations.
"Adherence to these goals was assured through a rigid enforcement structure that included “senior advisors for DEIA,” in nearly every bureau and Soviet-style “anonymous reporting portals,” where employees were encouraged to denounce colleagues who would not tow the company line.
"I am hoping to see an overhaul of State’s performance evaluation and assignment systems in order to fully return the State Department to merit-based principles rather than promotion based on who you know or what you look like.
"It is hard to represent America when the Department’s procedures are the antithesis of the American dream, and I know this Administration is hard at work on reforming this process.
"Lastly, as I have said many times from this dais, I hope that this reorganization incentivizes the Department to rebalance its risk tolerance and get our diplomats into the field where they belong.
"We aren’t going to beat our competitors sitting behind desks, whether it’s in Washington, Warsaw, or Wellington. We need our diplomats out of the embassies and in the field pushing for America’s interests across the world.
"In 2022, my Secure Embassy Construction Act became law, helping free our personnel to get out and do their jobs. Under the previous administration, the State Department did not fully implement this law. I hope under your leadership, this will be remedied.
"The American people deserve a State Department staffed by our nation’s best, all working to advance American interests and outcompete our adversaries. Mr. Rigas, you and your colleagues have a tremendous opportunity to return the Department to peak performance, and create a unified workforce that rewards merit and accomplishment, rather than DEI and divisive ideology. I look forward to hearing about your plans for the State Department over your tenure, and thank you again for being with us today."
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