Washington, DC - Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the introduction of his Department of State Authorization Act of 2022:
“The 2022 State Department authorization bill I’ve introduced today builds upon the work of last year’s bipartisan authorization bill, the first to be signed into law in almost 20 years. That effort was critical to providing the State Department and our diplomats important tools to advance American interests around the world. This year’s authorization bill, drafted in close coordination between the majority and minority of the Committee, contains provisions from both Democrats and Republicans that advance U.S. national interests, and establish a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. It supports State Department operations and personnel by focusing on modernization and training to ensure the State Department remains the pre-eminent diplomatic institution in the world.
“Despite months of bipartisan work to reach agreement on this legislative text, my Republican colleagues have chosen to play politics with essential Committee responsibilities and U.S. national security, undermining our efforts over the last two Congresses to work across party lines to restore our Committee’s jurisdiction in authorizing the Department. Their refusal to support the introduction of this bipartisan legislation for political reasons is an abdication of their responsibility to equip the State Department personnel serving our country, and a failure to serve Americans who want Congress to do its job.
“I am proud to introduce this bill and hope to advance it on a bipartisan basis. I invite both my Democratic and Republican colleagues to review it and join me as co-sponsors, and I look forward to working with House leadership and the Senate to find a path forward for these critical provisions to be signed into law.”