Update: the Federal Budget and the Foreign Service - August 1, 2011

Dear Colleagues,

Along with many of our fellow citizens, we have been watching the dysfunction in our government with regret and some dismay. There is broad agreement that there is an unprecedented degree of uncertainty about specifics, but it seems likely that despite strong arguments put forth about the importance of our international affairs budget to our national security and economic prosperity, we will experience severe cuts to both programs and operations. These are challenging times for all of us, and in particular for our leadership, to stand firmly for the Foreign Service with the conviction that this is in the interests of our country.

Here is a summary update of the situation from our perspective:

The House and Senate are expected on Monday — today — to vote on a package to raise the debt ceiling while making significant reductions in spending. The Administration and Congress have been consumed with resolving this issue for some time now. In this highly charged partisan atmosphere, it has been difficult to get members of Congress, and staff, to focus on other critical issues like the future of the Foreign Service and maintaining a robust footprint on the global stage. Despite this unfortunate situation, AFSA continues to make the case for building and maintaining a strong and robust Foreign Service as a vital national interest. The U.S. role and interests abroad will suffer if there are deep cuts to programs or in the numbers, salaries or strength of our active duty service or other measures that would adversely impact the quality and morale of the Service.

AFSA has been tracking spending as it relates to international affairs, and advocating for the Foreign Service. An authorization bill recently passed in the House Foreign Affairs Committee (http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/) proposes drastic cuts to foreign affairs programs, and purposely makes no mention whatever of Overseas Comparability Pay (OCP). The House bill in its current form is given little chance of passing the Senate, but without specific funding language for OCP in an appropriations bill, either by the House or Senate, OCP funding will not be renewed. We understand the result will be a 16% pay cut for entry and mid-level Foreign Service personnel currently assigned overseas. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has introduced an authorization bill that supports full funding of President Obama’s FY2011 international affairs request, including all three tranches of OCP – the 16% currently in effect, plus the remaining 8 %. Under the circumstances we face it is difficult to predict whether or not or to what extent either the House or a potential Senate authorization bill will emerge or affect the outcome.

The House Appropriations Committee is currently scheduled this week to address the FY12 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. This measure http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FY12-SFOPS-07-25_xml.pdf passed out of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs early last week.

You may read the statement by the Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) at:
http://appropriations.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=253957.

Also, you may read subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger’s (R-TX) statement on the bill at:
http://appropriations.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=253956

The subcommittee’s $47.2 billion bill proposes significant reductions in non-war related programs. AFSA understands that these reductions are approximately 20% below FY2010 levels, but in some specific accounts, the funding is more than 30% below current levels. AFSA’s scope during this debate is to remain focused on accounts impacting the Foreign Service. While we are still looking at details, the measure does not include authorization for continued funding of OCP.

AFSA will continue lobbying the key committees in congress to keep the appropriate funding language for fair pay for the Foreign Service and an end to discriminatory treatment. We are also tracking the efforts being made by the State Department and USAID, as active engagement by State Department and USAID leadership is vital to successful advocacy for diplomacy, development, and the Foreign Service.

During these budget debates, it is fair to assume that severe cuts to the international affairs budget could cut back OCP, possibly completely. In addition, the federal pay freeze may be extended and employee pension and health contributions are slated to rise. Nonetheless, AFSA continues to work for adjustments at the margins in the Senate – including restoring OCP -- and while we have been engaged with the House we are concentrating our efforts in Senate.

In defending OCP, AFSA is motivated first by a deep concern that such drastic reduction in pay will weaken the future ability of the Foreign Service to attract and retain the talented and qualified personnel that our diplomatic and development services need to maintain U.S. leadership in the increasingly competitive world; and second, by principled objection to discrimination against the Foreign Service, a tiny but extremely effective segment of the federal workforce who are required to serve outside the continental United States.

What can you do?

We have seen that constituent letters do have an impact. We encourage you to write today to your representatives and senators, urging them to support a strong Foreign Service and avoid a huge pay cut for Foreign Service personnel currently serving in the most vital theaters of U.S. foreign and defense policy, drawing from points in the preceding paragraph. If you need assistance finding your members of Congress, you may visit:

House:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Senate:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm

If you have any connection to the following senators who are key-decision-makers in the Senate, please write them:

  • Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
  • Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
  • Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
  • Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
  • Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
  • Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
  • Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
  • Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
  • Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
  • Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
  • Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)
  • Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
  • Senator Dan Coats (R-IN)
  • Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)
  • Senator John Hoeven (R-ND)

Please keep in mind the applicable rules for Federal Employees which can be found at http://www.afsa.org/action_center.aspx where we also have a standard letter for writing to your representatives and links to finding your congressional contacts. If you do send a letter, please send an email to action@afsa.org so we can keep track of these efforts.

Thank you for your attention. We will continue to represent your interests and vigorously defend the Foreign Service.

Sincerely,

Susan R. Johnson
President