A resolution honoring the Employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, and for other purposes.

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 453 Honoring the Employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 12, 2019 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. UDALL, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. KAINE, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. BOOKER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Honoring the Employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, and for other purposes. Whereas more than 81,000 people serve as employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, including locally employed staff, protecting and advancing national security, free- dom, democracy, development, and free markets, for the benefit of the people of the United States and the inter- national community; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development to- gether represent the United States in maintaining diplo- matic relations in over 250 posts in 180 countries around VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •SRES 453 IS the world, including in many inhospitable and dangerous regions; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development pro- mote American values and interests at home and abroad through their work and actions, promoting the safety and freedom of all Americans; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development are a central component of our defense against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass de- struction; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development work to preserve peace and freedom and promote eco- nomic prosperity and mutual understanding around the world; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development daily work to reduce poverty, end hunger and malnutri- tion, fight disease, combat international crime and illegal drugs, and address environmental degradation; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development daily work to promote economic development, commercial enterprises, economic prosperity, and United States job and trade promotion; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development daily work to promote American ideals and values, human rights, freedom, gender equality, and democracy; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •SRES 453 IS Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development daily work to provide emergency and humanitarian assist- ance aid to respond to crises around the globe; Whereas there are almost 50,000 local employees at posts that aid and support the work of the United States and the Department of State around the world; Whereas at least 250 United States citizen employees, as well as family members, and many more locally employed staff, of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development have made the ul- timate sacrifice on behalf of their Nation; Whereas employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development per- sonify the virtues of patriotism, sacrifice, service, and duty; Whereas the families of employees of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International De- velopment make important and significant sacrifices for the United States; Whereas multiple career Foreign Service and civil service em- ployees of the Department of State upheld their oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold the law, and provide tes- timony in response to lawful subpoenas from congres- sional oversight hearings, risking their careers and per- sonal safety for service to their nation; Whereas these courageous employees of the Department of State, individuals who have served the Nation with dis- tinction and represent our Nation’s finest, include Am- bassador Marie Yovanovitch, a distinguished career pub- lic servant who dedicated 33 years of her life as a For- VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •SRES 453 IS eign Service Officer; Ambassador William Taylor, a dip- lomat who started his 50-year public service as a West Point cadet and served in every Administration since 1985; George Kent a career foreign service officer with multiple postings throughout the Department since 1992; Jennifer Williams, a 13-year veteran of the Foreign Serv- ice who has served overseas in Beirut and Jamaica, man- aged the United States Government’s humanitarian as- sistance program for Syrian refugees from 2011 to 2014, and, most recently, has served as the Vice President’s as- sistant on European and Russian affairs since April 2019; Ambassador David Hale, who has served around the world for more than three decades with the Depart- ment, including as Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon and Jordan, and in his current role as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; David Holmes, who joined the foreign service in 2002 and was awarded the William Rivkin award for Constructive Dissent in 2014; Peter Mi- chael McKinley, whose career in the foreign service spanned more than 35 years and included service as am- bassador to Peru, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Brazil, and Senior Adviser to Secretary Mike Pompeo; Philip Reeker, a 27-year veteran of the foreign service, includ- ing as acting assistant secretary of the Bureau of Euro- pean and Eurasian Affairs; Catherine M. Croft, who has served as a special advisor for Ukraine in the State De- partment and on the National Security Council staff; and Christopher Anderson, a foreign service officer since 2005, who served at the United States Embassy in Kyiv from 2014 to 2017 and as the special adviser for Ukraine negotiations from August 2017 to July 2019; and Whereas the Department of State has represented to Con- gress that ‘‘no employee has faced any adverse action by VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •SRES 453 IS the Department for testimony before Congress’’ and com- mitted that ‘‘the Department will not discipline any De- partment employee for appearing before Congress in re- sponse to a subpoena’’: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) honors the employees of the Department of 2 State and the United States Agency for Inter- 3 national Development; 4 (2) calls on the people of the United States to 5 reflect on the service and sacrifice of employees of 6 the Department of State and the United States 7 Agency for International Development, wherever 8 they serve, past, present, and future; 9 (3) thanks the local employees for their aid and 10 support in the mission of the Department of State 11 and the United States Agency for International De- 12 velopment; 13 (4) expresses the deep appreciation of a grate- 14 ful Nation to the employees of the Department of 15 State and the United States Agency for Inter- 16 national Development who each and every day cou- 17 rageously and publicly stand up for their country 18 and defend the Constitution, including those who 19 have provided testimony to Congress in response to 20 lawful subpoenas; 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •SRES 453 IS (5) urges the Department to fully and faithfully 1 implement all its stated commitment to assist em- 2 ployees called to testify before Congress with the 3 cost of legal fees; and 4 (6) calls on the Department to ensure that no 5 personnel will face any retaliatory action, adverse 6 personnel action, or other negative consequence for 7 testifying or providing requested information to Con- 8 gress, and emphasizes that any reprisal for testi- 9 fying before Congress would be a violation of law. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:36 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR453.IS SR453 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS