{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/in-letter-to-state-dept-cardin-and-young-express-concerns-about-reorganization-effort", "In Letter to State Dept., Cardin and Young Express Concerns About Reorganization Effort", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MD", "Benjamin Cardin", "C000141", "www.cardin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 05, 2017\n\t\t\t In Letter to State Dept., Cardin and Young Express Concerns About Reorganization Effort \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Foreign Relations Committee Members Call for Greater Transparency with Congress and Immediate Lifting of the Department\u2019s Hiring Freeze\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) sent a bipartisan letter to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan Tuesday expressing concerns regarding reorganization efforts within the Department of State and their impact on our country\u2019s diplomatic capacity and national security.\u00a0 Both senators serve as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with Cardin serving as the Ranking Member.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe share a goal of improving the Department\u2019s efficiency and effectiveness, and stand ready to work together where possible. In that vein, we have significant concerns regarding the effect of the \u201credesign\u201d effort on our country\u2019s diplomatic capacity and national security. Based on those concerns, we write to request that the Department of State reassess the assumptions guiding the reform effort, end its counter-productive hiring freeze, and strengthen its transparency with Congress,\u201d the Senators wrote.\r\nThey continued, \u201cWe look forward to hearing from you and want to work in full partnership with you and the Secretary of State to promote American interests and values around the globe.\u201d\r\nTo read the full letter, see below or click here.\r\nDear Deputy Secretary Sullivan:\r\nWe share a goal of improving the Department\u2019s efficiency and effectiveness, and stand ready to work together where possible.\u00a0 In that vein, we have significant concerns regarding the effect of the \u201credesign\u201d effort on our country\u2019s diplomatic capacity and national security.\u00a0 Based on those concerns, we write to request that the Department of State reassess the assumptions guiding the reform effort, end its counter-productive hiring freeze, and strengthen its transparency with Congress.\u00a0\r\nImproving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department is critical to our national security given the myriad challenges our nation faces. Reforms to information technology, human resources, and procurement systems are long overdue, and we support your efforts to streamline Special Envoy and Special Representative positions. We hope that you consider Congress as a partner in these endeavors, as well as broader efforts to strengthen America\u2019s diplomatic capabilities.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nAt the same time, we are deeply concerned about recent developments at the Department of State that are adversely affecting America\u2019s Foreign Service and Civil Service professionals and putting our nation\u2019s ability to carry out diplomacy at risk, including the impact of the Department\u2019s ongoing hiring freeze, proposed budget cuts, and reorganization efforts.\r\nWe noted with interest Secretary Tillerson\u2019s response to some of these concerns last week at the Wilson Center. Based on his comments, we offer two observations. First, in suggesting that success in some conflict areas will reduce the overall need for America\u2019s diplomatic resources, he said, \u201cpart of this bringing the budget numbers back down is reflective of an expectation that we\u2019re going to have success in some of these conflict areas of getting these conflicts resolved and moving to a different place in terms of the kind of support that we have to give them.\u201d\u00a0\r\nThere is no doubt our Department of State professionals have been working diligently to achieve progress.\u00a0 However, we see no evidence that there will be a decline in the need for our nation\u2019s diplomatic capabilities. On the contrary\u2014in virtually every region of the world\u2014we see the need for capable and effective American leadership and diplomacy increasing. If history teaches us anything, it should humble us in our confidence to predict what new challenges or crises will lie ahead for our nation. However, we can say with confidence that these challenges and crises will require America to employ optimized and well-resourced defense, development, and diplomacy tools.\r\nEven if the many conflicts we confront today will subside or conclude soon\u2014which we do not believe\u2014it is important to remember the essential role of our diplomats before, during, and after conflicts. Effective diplomacy can prevent and shorten conflict, reduce American sacrifices during conflict, and consolidate gains after a conflict concludes. Indeed, reductions in our nation\u2019s diplomatic capabilities will tragically and predictably increase the frequency, duration, and severity of America\u2019s conflicts.\u00a0\r\nWe also see no reduction in the need for the essential role our diplomats play in facilitating trade and investment opportunities for American businesses abroad, promoting human rights, addressing new security concerns, and strengthening America\u2019s alliances that serve as an indispensable foundation for our national security and prosperity. If anything, the challenges of the twenty-first century make these capabilities even more important.\r\nIt is for these reasons that we are concerned that the administration\u2019s April 2017 decision related to hiring freezes did not extend to the Department of State. We are seeing a dramatic reduction in the intake of new State Department personnel and a limit on transfers, promotions, and moves that enable these professionals to further their careers. We worry about the short and long-term consequences of these developments, and we urge you to immediately rescind the hiring freeze.\r\nSecond, at the Wilson Center, Secretary Tillerson also said he wanted to ensure that discussions related to the administration\u2019s \u201credesign\u201d are rooted in facts.\u00a0 We share that desire.\u00a0 That is one of the reasons why the administration must enhance its transparency with Congress regarding Department of State and USAID reform and reorganization efforts.\u00a0 The few briefings that have occurred have provided little additional insight into the \u201credesign\u201d efforts and raised more questions than they have answered.\u00a0\r\nOptimal and durable reform is best achieved when the executive and legislative branches work together in a transparent manner.\u00a0 We understand that working with Congress can be slow and frustrating, but historic reforms will not be achieved fully without the Constitution\u2019s Article I branch of government.\u00a0 Reforms conducted without Congress, or in opposition to the will of Congress, will be small-scale, temporary, or both.\u00a0\r\nFor these reasons, we respectfully request that the Department of State reassess the assumptions guiding the \u201credesign\u201d effort, end the hiring freeze, and improve its transparency with Congress.\u00a0 More specifically, we request that the Department provide as soon as possible a detailed member-level update on the reform and reorganization effort.\r\nWe look forward to hearing from you and want to work in full partnership with you and the Secretary of State to promote American interests and values around the globe.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/in-letter-to-state-dept-cardin-and-young-express-concerns-about-reorganization-effort"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.756298890337348, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}