Verbatim, as delivered

May 20, 2009

Chairman Berman’s opening statement at markup of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410)

H.R. 2410 authorizes funding for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for the Department of State, the Peace Corps, U.S. international broadcasting activities, and other foreign affairs programs.

This legislation continues efforts by this Committee to strengthen U.S. foreign policy agencies to promote American national security interests and better serve U.S. citizens.

For far too long, we have failed to provide the State Department with the resources it needs to fill critical overseas posts, provide adequate training, and ensure effective oversight of the programs that it manages. With the expansion of U.S. diplomatic responsibilities in the 1990’s and the more recent demands of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Foreign Service has been strained to the breaking point.

Sixteen percent of all positions are currently unfilled. One in nine positions overseas is vacant.

H.R. 2410 builds on the process begun in the current fiscal year to help rebuild the capacity of the State Department.

Specifically, our legislation supports the President’s request for funding to hire over 1000 new staff, including at least 750 Foreign Service Officers.

332 of these positions will be used to immediately expand our diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other strategic areas.

A further 213 positions will be dedicated to improving and expanding training in critical needs languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, and Urdu.

The bill also provides resources for significant numbers of new public diplomacy officers, arms control experts, and counterterrorism specialists.

In addition, H.R. 2410 reforms the Foreign Service Act to accelerate the transition of the diplomatic corps from its traditional diplomatic framework to a more expeditionary mission to meet the new challenges facing our nation.

Finally, to help ensure that the State Department can continue to attract the best and brightest to its ranks – and retain those professionals over the long term -- our legislation closes the “pay gap” that currently results in a 21 percent pay cut when junior Foreign Service Officers leave Washington, DC for overseas assignments.

Hiring and training a large number of new Foreign Service Officers to advance our national security interests overseas doesn’t come cheap.

But investing resources now to help prevent conflict and failed states is much more cost effective than providing massive amounts of humanitarian relief, funding peacekeeping operations, or, in the most extreme circumstances, putting U.S. boots on the ground.

H.R. 2410 also authorizes funds to pay our full dues and all recognized arrearages to the United Nations.

The U.N. system is very far from perfect, and doesn’t always live up to our expectations on a number of occasions.

But on a wide range of issues with implications for U.S. national security – from Iran’s nuclear weapons program, to North Korea, to climate change -- we need the close cooperation of the international community.

And experience has shown that withholding U.S. dues to leverage change at the UN simply doesn’t work – we are much more likely to get the reforms we want through active engagement.

H.R. 2410 also supports a significant expansion of the Peace Corps, a vigorous public diplomacy effort, an increase in international broadcasting activities, and a strengthened arms control and nonproliferation Bureau at the State Department.

In addition, the legislation creates a new foundation to help U.S. students study abroad, enhances U.S. efforts to help Mexico and other Latin American countries to reduce drug violence, and addresses a number of key human rights and democracy issues around the world.

Finally, H.R. 2410 reforms our system of export controls for military technology, improves oversight of U.S. security assistance, and requires a report to the Congress on actions taken by the U.S. to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge.

I think it’s an excellent piece of legislation – I guess I would – but I want to thank all the members from both sides of the aisle who have contributed to its creation. Many of your thoughtful ideas are included in this text, and they have made the bill much better. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.