Congress: Demand More from State Department Diplomacy and Staffing

Today I take pen in hand to write and express my extreme concern about the condition of the U.S. State Department and its funding. By many accounts, the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio has been slashed, and I have to believe morale is low and also losing key personnel. Many positions are unfilled, or have utterly unqualified people in place. This is not acceptable. Diplomacy is the key to peace, it cannot be ‘streamlined’ for the sake of saving money.   Not only is it dangerous to cede our global leadership in times when extremism is still a threat in many corners of the world, but it also doesn’t bode well for other areas where the U.S. normally leads, such as:   1.     Good foreign relations to help our trade representatives, and negotiations with countries that help our Commerce Department create a favorable environment for U.S. goods. 2.     Gaining cooperation of allies in the fight against terrorism or aggression by nation states like Russia 3.     Helping weak countries put themselves back onto a path of fairer and more just government.   Therefore, we resume the call to ensure that the U.S. State Department, including its subsidiary operating units like Arms Control and International Security; Political Affairs; and Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, be fully staffed as soon as possible with competent people, and given the funds needed.   The world is a complex web of alliances, treaties, criminal justice efforts, and opening up of new markets for U.S. companies (i.e. job creation). We cannot and ought not to retreat from our exceptional brand of being the world’s leading diplomatic force for good. To do less is to adopt a corporate credo: That nothing matters except the dollar.   I urge you in Congress to lead and find ways to give the State Department the money it needs to carry out its many missions of peace, and force Secretary Rubio to lead us back to the path of justice in the world, or he ought to join the list of those that must be impeached and removed from office. Rubio’s criminal neglect is already costing lives.