Chairman Mast, Lawler Introduce Foreign Service Modernization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast joined Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee Chairman Mike Lawler in introducing much-needed reforms to ensure America’s front-line diplomats have the tools to meet today’s national security and geopolitical challenges.

The Foreign Service Modernization Act marks the first comprehensive review of the Foreign Service Act, which codifies personnel matters for Foreign Service Officers, since it was signed into law in 1980.

“For a very long time, Congress has done squat to oversee the State Department, diplomats, and their operations. This week the House Foreign Affairs Committee will redo the Foreign Service Act (FSA) for the first time in 46 years,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast. “The FSA oversees every diplomat in America's embassies abroad. There are great diplomats given the opportunity to serve because of merit and terrible diplomats like the ones who implemented projects like transgender job fairs in Bangladesh or drag shows in Ecuador. We are going to make sure the State Department hires the most qualified, not the most woke.”

“The State Department operates almost 280 posts around the world, staffed by over 14,000 Foreign Service Officers. At each post, these Americans are the face, voice, and representatives of our foreign policy. Amidst the current and rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, we must ensure the Foreign Service is mission-focused and equipped to meet that monumental task,” said Congressman Mike Lawler, Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.

The legislation includes several personnel reforms focused on how the State Department recruits and trains diplomats, including measures that would:

• Provide Ambassadors with increased authorities and oversight in carrying out US foreign policy at their posts overseas,
• Create a pilot program for a Diplomatic Reserve Corps, modeling the reserve functions of the armed services, that would surge diplomats to the front lines in response to emergencies and crises abroad,
• Enhance expeditionary diplomacy in austere posts to advance American interests outside of the confines of embassy walls,
• Align State Department human resources technology and training to meet modern national security demands, and
• Increase pathways for military veterans to join the Foreign Service

These reforms, which focus on defining the mission and culture of the Foreign Service, build upon Chairman Mast’s focus on restoring command and control over the State Department. Last year, the committee passed the first comprehensive bipartisan State Department reauthorization in more than two decades. Doing so set a powerful precedent for ensuring continued accountability for the American people.

The full committee will consider the Foreign Service Modernization Act of 2026 as part of a markup in June.