Management Family FY26 Budget Posture Hearing

1[House Hearing, 119 Congress]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                  MANAGEMENT FAMILY FISCAL YEAR 20265                             BUDGET POSTURE6=======================================================================78                                HEARING910                                 OF THE1112                    SUBCOMMITTEE ON MIDDLE EAST AND13                               NORTH AFRICA1415                               BEFORE THE1617                      COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS18                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES1920                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2122                             FIRST SESSION2324                               __________2526                             July 16, 20252728                               __________2930                           Serial No. 119-293132                               __________3334        Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs3536[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3738Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov, http://docs.house.gov,39                       or http://www.govinfo.gov4041                              __________4243                  U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE4462-443 PDF               WASHINGTON : 202645=======================================================================4647                      COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS4849                    BRIAN J. MAST, Florida, Chairman50MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York,51CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey         Ranking Member52JOE WILSON,, South Carolina          BRAD SHERMAN, California53SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia54DARRELL ISSA, California             WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts55TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee              AMI BERA, California56MARK E. GREEN, Tennessee             JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas57ANDY BARR, Kentucky                  DINA TITUS, Nevada58RONNY JACKSON, Texas                 TED LIEU, California59YOUNG KIM, California                SARA JACOBS, California60MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR, Florida        SHEILA CHERFILUS-McCORMICK,61BILL HUIZENGA, Michigan                  Florida62AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN,       GREG STANTON, Arizona63    American Samoa                   JARED MOSKOWITZ, Florida64WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio                JONATHAN L. JACKSON, Illinois65JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana              SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE, California66THOMAS H. KEAN, Jr, New Jersey       JIM COSTA, California67MICHAEL LAWLER, New York             GABE AMO, Rhode Island68CORY MILLS, Florida                  KWEISI MFUME, Maryland69RICHARD McCORMICK, Georgia           PRAMILA JAYAPAL, Washington70KEITH SELF, Texas                    GEORGE LATIMER, New York71RYAN K. ZINKE, Montana               JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI Jr, Maryland72JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam                JULIE JOHNSON, Texas73ANNA PAULINA LUNA, Florida           SARAH McBRIDE, Delaware74JEFFERSON SHREVE, Indiana            BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois75SHERI BIGGS, South Carolina          MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania76MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington77RYAN MACKENZIE, Pennsylvania7879              James Langenderfer, Majority Staff Director80                 Sajit Gandhi, Minority Staff Director81                                 ------8283              SUBCOMMITTEE ON MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA8485                   MICHAEL LAWLER, New York, Chairman86 JOE WILSON, South Carolina          SHEILA CHERFILUS-McCORMICK,87 DARRELL ISSA, California                Florida, Ranking Member88 TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee              BRAD SHERMAN, California89 RONNY JACKSON, Texas                 GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia90 THOMAS KEAN, Jr, New Jersey          WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts91 RYAN ZINKE, Montana                  KWEISI MFUME, Maryland92 MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, Washington      GEORGE LATIMER, New York9394               Sarah Miller, Subcommittee Staff Director9596                         C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S9798                              ----------99100                            REPRESENTATIVES101102                                                                   Page103Opening Statement of Subcommittee Chairman Michael Lawler........     1104Opening Statement of Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila105  Cherfilus-McCormick............................................     2106107                               WITNESSES108109Statement of Hon. Jose Cunningham, Acting Under Secretary (M),110  U.S. Department of State.......................................     4111  Prepared Statement.............................................     6112113                                APPENDIX114115Hearing Notice...................................................    26116Hearing Minutes..................................................    27117Hearing Attendance...............................................    28118119           MANAGEMENT FAMILY FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET POSTURE120121                              ----------122123                        Wednesday, July 16, 2025124125                  House of Representatives,126       Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa127                              Committee on Foreign Affairs,128                                                    Washington, DC.129130    The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2 p.m., in131room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Michael Lawler132(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.133    Mr. Lawler. The Subcommittee on the Middle East and North134Africa will come to order.135    The purpose of this hearing is to assess the budgetary136posture and strategic direction of the State Department's137management family for Fiscal Year 2026.138    I now recognize myself for an opening statement.139140          OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MICHAEL LAWLER141142    Today, we convene to conduct oversight of the Department of143State's management family and review its budgetary posture and144strategic priorities for Fiscal Year 2026.145    I want to thank our witness, Mr. Jose Cunningham, for146appearing before us. Mr. Cunningham is serving as both the147acting Under Secretary for Management and the Assistant148Secretary for Administration.149    The Bureau of Management is the backbone of the State150Department. It touches every element of America's diplomatic151presence, from safeguarding our personnel and Americans abroad152to adjudicating passports and visas to managing our IT, our153embassies, and our financial systems.154    These responsibilities are vital to our national security155and we appreciate the hard work of the men and women who make156up the M family.157    But as we look ahead we must ask whether the department's158management architecture is fit for purpose in a world of rapid159geopolitical change, digital threats, and rising demands for160accountability.161    Is our current structure delivering results or is it162weighed down by redundancy, fragmentation, and outdated163systems?164    We'll be examining several core issues today: the165department's ability to modernize its technology, financial166management and administrative systems; how the department is167coordinating across bureaus to reduce duplication and deliver168cost effective services; whether key security functions like169counter intelligence and cyber security are integrated and170mission ready; and how the department is using flexible funding171tools like the Working Capital Fund to support shared services172and meet evolving global threats.173    We'll also consider whether structural reforms are needed174to consolidate core management functions, streamline executive175offices, and align financial oversight with policy priorities176so that every taxpayer dollar advances our mission abroad.177    Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of a strong and178collaborative partnership between Congress and the State179Department. When we work hand in hand, grounded in open,180timely, and transparent communication, we are best positioned181to advance our shared national security and foreign policy182goals.183    Congress stands ready to support the department's mission184and we look forward to continuing that work together.185    Mr. Cunningham, we look forward to your testimony and to a186robust discussion of how we can work together to ensure the187State Department is as agile, secure, and results driven as the188world demands.189    With that, I now recognize the ranking member, my colleague190from Florida, Representative Cherfilus-McCormick, for her191opening statement.192193 OPENING STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER SHEILA CHERFILUS-McCORMICK194195    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and196thank you so much for being here. Thank you to Under Secretary197Collins for coming here today and shedding some light.198    Congress has been left in the dark as to the vision and199processes at the department, leading to many questions. For200example, last Friday 1,300 dedicated professionals at the State201Department were handed reduction in force announcements.202    Several questions come to mind including what notices were203given, what was the process or the matrices to determine who204was being let go, and what is the strategy behind these RIFs.205    These are the answers Congress is looking for and have not206heard from the department. The truth is Congress has not seen207any road map or coherent strategy. We know more from the media208about what's going on in the department. Without the department209filling in the gaps we only hear about the mishaps.210    For example, even the basic administration of the RIFs was211flawed. Employees were mistakenly issued RIFs notices by the212department's own admission. Many still don't know where they213stand, especially those on detail, other agencies, or here on214the Capitol.215    Others remain overseas waiting for answers. Moreover,216reports were--reports were at our hearing saying that these217notices, or RIFs, were being given just hours--only hours to218pack up their belongings, saying their goodbyes and to leave.219    No explanation, no performance reviews, no recognitions for220their service--in some cases, not even the dignity of a proper221farewell.222    Worse still, some of these individuals were working abroad223on assignment away from their families, serving our country and224now they're stranded.225    Some have been cutoff from their official emails. Their226government passports have been confiscated and they have no227clear way to get home.228    These are the Americans, our public servants. They have229been abandoned by their own country. This isn't just about230policy; it's about the people who are implementing the policy.231    And, yet, today we will hear from this administration about232how this was all part of a strategic reorganization. We hear233buzz words like rightsizing, efficiency and accountability. For234these words to be true, we can't wait to hear about the systems235and the harm mitigation protocol that were being used before236these RIF decisions were made.237    The Trump administration's own staff has boasted that the238reorganization process was led by 10 people. We know firsthand239that many of those people have no prior experiences in foreign240affairs policy.241    They don't know what makes an embassy work, what makes a242regional or functional team successful. This administration243chose to act recklessly, rush a reorganization without experts'244input and fire over 1,000 State Department staff.245    For all we know they will be begged to return, just like we246have seen in the countless other cases where DOGE-inspired cuts247fired essential personnel and experts only to bring them back248days or weeks later.249    It is important to remember at this time of global unrest250we should be doing everything we can to strengthen, not weaken,251our diplomatic workforce.252    When the world is on fire, you don't put the firefighters253off the truck. You equip them, you support them, you thank254them. But that's not what's happening here today.255    These RIFs cut deeply into the heart of our diplomatic256workforce. We're not just losing positions. We are, in fact,257losing people, people who have spent years, sometimes decades,258building expertise in areas that are critical to our national259security, nuclear nonproliferation, democratic governance,260climate resilience, and regional stability.261    We're losing young professionals who chose public service262over private sector salaries because they believed in something263bigger than themselves, the American mission, diplomacy and264democracy, people who missed birthdays, anniversaries and at265times with their loved ones to represent this country abroad266and now they've been told they are expendable.267    We have heard particularly alarming stories about cuts to268consulate affairs despite repeated assurances from Secretary269Rubio that other passport proceedings would not be affected.270    With the dismantling of the State Department workforce and271USAID also came the dismantling of trust, expertise, and the272spirit of Americans working at the State Department.273    Rebuilding this destruction will take years. We look274forward to hear from you all of the procedures and processes in275place and look forward to working with you to help rebuild276them.277    I yield back.278    Mr. Lawler. Thank you to the ranking member.279    Other members of the committee are reminded that opening280statements may be submitted for the record.281    We are pleased to have acting Under Secretary Jose282Cunningham before us today. Your full statements will be made283part of the record and I'll ask that you keep your spoken284remarks to 5 minutes in order to allow time for member285questions.286    I now recognize acting Under Secretary Cunningham for his287opening statement.288289STATEMENT OF HON. JOSE CUNNINGHAM, ACTING UNDER SECRETARY (M),290                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE291292    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Chairman, Ranking Member, and293members of the committee (inaudible). I'm honored to appear294before this committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify295regarding the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the U.S. Department296of State's management family bureaus.297    As Assistant Secretary of Administration at the State298Department and performing the duties of Under Secretary for299Management, I'm honored to present our budget priorities, which300are designed to ensure the department fulfills its mission and301that every dollar we spend and every action we take results in302measurable, positive outcomes for the American people.303    Every day the 13 bureaus and offices that make up the304department's management family play a critical role in305supporting our domestic and global workforce, our logistics,306facilities, and security that underpin core diplomatic307functions and ensure the department is equipped to deliver its308mission effectively and efficiently.309    Of the $28.5 billion total request the department is310requesting $11.3 billion for diplomatic engagement resources to311fund the department's principal operating accounts and to312provide necessary protection for the department's people,313property, and data.314    Through our main operating accounts M family bureaus and315offices enable operations for all department bureaus and316offices and over 275 posts worldwide.317    Our embassies around the world are the front lines of318diplomacy, representing the United States to the world while319providing critical information and identifying opportunities320and challenges long before they reach Washington, DC.321    The M family is reviewing and reforming our operational322capabilities and is focused on quality, speed, and efficiency323to streamline and focus on the global workforce.324    A good example of this is the department's continued325commitment to our review of high-threat high-risk posts through326the SCORE process where we are weighing decisions on how and327whether to main maintain U.S. diplomatic presence in dangerous328locations against the policy rewards of being there.329    Another example is how the M family is using AI and data-330driven tools most recently to the to aid the Middle East Task331Force in identifying risk and potential critical assets and332data.333    Our Office of Foreign Missions within the M family employs334reciprocity to help ensure our personnel abroad are treated335fairly and equitably by receiving states and works to protect336Americans from abuses of privileges and immunities by foreign337diplomats in the United States, all while safeguarding our338critical national interests at home.339    I am personally working with our interagency partners to340maintain comprehensive and effective continuity of government341capabilities.342    Taxpayers deserve a State Department that serves the343American people and champions the safety, security, and344prosperity of our Nation. In addition to our request for345appropriated resources the department plans to use $5.5 billion346collected in consular fees for enhanced visa process vetting347and passport enhancements.348    As Secretary Rubio has stated, a visa is not a right. It is349a privilege. Individuals seeking entry into the United States350must demonstrate that their presence will not harm our national351interests.352    We anticipate 21.8 million Americans will apply for353passports in 2026, and to ensure the needs of American people354are met Consular Affairs seeks to advance its information355technology infrastructure, streaming--including streamlining356passport applications through our highly successful online357passport renewal platform.358    Consular Affairs is well equipped as we prepare for major359events like the FIFA World Cup that's going to be in 2026, the3602028 Olympics, and America 250.361    We continue to address global challenges as demonstrated by362providing information and assistance to more than 27,000363individuals during the Israel-Iran conflict.364    I look forward to working with Chairman Mast, Ranking365Member Meeks, and the entire committee on the State Department366authorization bill.367    The Secretary has already begun the essential initiative of368restructuring the department to align our resources with policy369priorities. This effort will eliminate redundant functions,370enhance accountability, and empower our people to deliver371results.372    Every bureau and office will have a clear responsibility373and mission. I look forward to answering your questions today374and hearing the committee's thoughts, particularly as you're375writing your State Department authorization bill, and I thank376you for your time and attention.377    [The prepared statement of Mr. Cunningham follows:]378    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]379380    Mr. Lawler. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham. I now recognize381myself for 5 minutes of questioning.382    Mr. Cunningham, the State Department's Fiscal Year 2026383budget request includes authority to obligate $517 million in384projected passport application and execution fees, and385Secretary Rubio noted that, quote, ``Every decision on a visa386application is a national security decision,'' end quote.387    Is part of this funding request to deal with expanded388social media vetting, for instance?389    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you for that important question,390Chairman.391    One of the great joys of my job is being able to work with392Consular Affairs. The professionals that we have on a global393basis are doing incredible work and you are absolutely right to394point out that national security is first and foremost as we395move forward.396    The Consular Affairs team works diligently to make sure397that we are combating passport and visa fraud. We are also398addressing issues related to human trafficking and then, of399course, we work closely with Homeland Security to ensure that400we have got the right kind of entry qualifications for anybody401who is coming to the United States.402    Part of that effort to make sure that we are addressing403national security concerns is making sure that we do everything404we can to look at those individuals who are applying for visas405overseas when they want to come to the United States.406    Absolutely, a visa to the United States is a privilege. It407is not a right. And particularly I think we have found, given408what we have seen on college campuses and university campuses409over the last year and a half or so, we want to make sure that410we are vetting those applicants to ensure that they are not411involved with any kind of anti-Semitism or terrorism activity412and part of that, of course, is going to be taking a look at413their social media profile, looking at what they have posted in414the past, and ensuring that when they come to the United States415they're here for the reason that they say they are--hopefully,416getting to know America, learning our values, and studying in417these great institutions.418    Mr. Lawler. While I agree that the vetting is absolutely419necessary, we do need to make sure that you have all the420resources to do it well and prevent delays or backlogs.421    Under the prior administration we saw significant backlogs422in processing passports and visas, and all of our offices have423dealt with that.424    Is the State Department hiring more staff to engage in that425expanded social media vetting and how else are you ensuring426that this program remains efficient and does not create a427backlog?428    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you for that question, Chairman.429    In fact, during the reorg that we just recently announced430as well as the intended reduction in force that went with that431and into effect on Friday, I'm pleased to say that Consular432Affairs did not take a hit.433    We have the necessary manpower and workforce in place to be434able to address the issues that you were just talking about and435we won't have delays.436    Right now for a passport, especially through this new437online passport renewal system, we're finding that folks are438able to get passports in anywhere from three to 6 weeks. The439average time is about 3 weeks right now, and then for visas the440median time for receiving a visa is about 1 month.441    Mr. Lawler. State's Fiscal Year 1926 request includes an442$81.7 million reduction in worldwide security protection443funding for Iraq, reflecting equipment returns and a drawdown444of operations.445    As the department considers scaling back its presence at446Embassy Baghdad what steps are being taken to ensure that core447diplomatic functions such as intelligence gathering, crisis448response, and interagency coordination can continue safely and449effectively?450    Mr. Cunningham. It's an excellent question, sir. I must say451that not only pertaining to Baghdad and Iraq, on a regular452basis we are looking at our posture--our global posture--from a453security perspective.454    I'm happy to say that the $28.5 billion request that we455have for Fiscal Year 1926 is about 48 percent less than the456Fiscal Year 1925 budget and so in essence what that means is457we're able to return or at least save about $20 billion-plus458for the American taxpayer.459    Part and parcel of that, of course, is just finding460opportunities overseas for us to reduce our cost while at the461same time maintaining the security posture that we need not462only bilaterally but also multilaterally.463    You are right to point out that in Baghdad we have found464significant cost savings by closing down our fixed and rotary465wing aircraft operation there.466    We are looking for many, many more opportunities for cost467containment in Baghdad in particular just given the changing468nature of the relationship that we have in Iraq but also469broader--more broadly in the Middle East.470    Mr. Lawler. Thank you. My time has expired.471    I now recognize the ranking member, Representative472Cherfilus-McCormick, for 5 minutes of questioning.473    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.474    I wanted to go and start digging in through the reduction475in force that recently transpired. There's been a lot of476questions about what happened in the processes.477    So I wanted to give you the opportunity to tell us what478processes were in place to ensure that it was actually merit479based and what we--what did you take in consideration when you480released these people?481    Mr. Cunningham. That's a fantastic question and one that482I've been intimately involved with for the past few months.483    I had the good opportunity of working at Export-Import Bank484for the first 8 weeks, 9 weeks, of this administration and when485I moved to the State Department to assume this role I486encountered a State Department under the leadership of487Secretary Rubio that was talking in very broad strokes but488absolutely doing everything it needed to do to get down to489brass tacks and how we make America safer, stronger, and more490prosperous through a reorganization.491    The reorganization was actually done in a very thoughtful492and organized way. When it came to the reduction in force it493was a data-driven exercise whereby we first and foremost looked494at the organizational structure that we needed in place in495order to carry out the America First foreign policy agenda.496    So we put the organizational structure in place. As you can497imagine, we found a lot of waste, fraud, and mismanagement498along the way and those are--that's really what constituted--499when you hear about offices that were eliminated and removed500that's how we came up with the first organizational structure.501    I focus on that reorg first because what we did was then,502you know, to follow along with that to ensure that we have the503right workforce that matched and aligned that organizational504structure we looked at positions.505    We did not look at names. We did not look at titles. We506looked at positions that were necessary for us to carry out507that America First foreign policy agenda and worked very, very508closely with the Office of Personnel Management--OPM--to ensure509that we have the right folks in the Foreign Service, in the510Civil Service, and we also looked at it from a contracting511perspective.512    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. What are some of your data513points? I just don't want my time to lapse.514    Mr. Cunningham. Sure.515    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. What were some of the data points516that you looked at? Because as we're talking to more and more517of our diplomats they're concerned about the merit-based518justifications for who actually was released.519    Mr. Cunningham. Right. You're absolutely right to point out520that a merit-based personnel policy is absolutely vital. One of521the first things President Trump did in this administration was522to ensure through executive order that we had a merit-based523workforce, not only at the State Department but throughout524government.525    Included in that was taking a good hard look at our526diversity, inclusion, and equity rules, and so what we have527today through this data-driven process that we used for the528reorganization is that we have--we made sure that we were529looking at skill sets wherein in the Foreign Service so we also530wanted to look at language capabilities.531    We also wanted to look at their experience. We were able to532match up just about all of that with--and overlay it with the533organizational structure in place. We did that. This is534actually worth saying.535    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. My time is running out so I'm536sorry----537    Mr. Cunningham. OK.538    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick [continuing]. I just want to jump539in. I also want to look at some of the mishaps that we're540actually seeing in the reports of people who were let go and541who have been hired back.542    Was that anticipated when you guys were setting out your543process and procedures?544    Mr. Cunningham. I have not heard of mishaps. We have found545an anomaly or two that absolutely needed to be addressed and if546you yourself, Ranking Member, hear of an anomaly and would like547to be able to share that with us we would--we will absolutely548look at that.549    We're looking at all of those in a case by case basis.550    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. And do you have a course551correction plan that you're going to be using, going forward,552in case these mishaps----553    Mr. Cunningham. Absolutely, because we want to make sure554that we get this right, not only from a personnel perspective555but also, perhaps, even more importantly from a mission-driven556perspective to make sure that we're able to really deliver on557the America First foreign policy agenda.558    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. And before my time runs out, we559have been hearing more and more about people who were actually560let go who were supposed to be rotating to other countries and561other posts, and they were actually supposed to go within a562day, 2 days, a week.563    So those people who are no longer going to that new post564are they being replaced and do those people have the same565expertise as the people who were let go?566    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you for that question, Congresswoman.567    I will say that more than likely you're referring to some568of the folks that--the effective date of the reduction in force569and the reorganization was May 29, and as you probably know570there was a stall in us being able to move on that reorg571because of a district judge in San Francisco.572    Depending on where the individual was on May 29th when the573Secretary signed that reorganization in final that probably is574what dictates where that person is today and whether or not575they're going to be able to go on to a forward assignment or if576they got caught in an office that actually was eliminated.577    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you. I yield back.578    Mr. Lawler. The gentlelady's time has expired.579    I now recognize the gentleman from California580Representative Issa for 5 minutes.581    Mr. Issa. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.582    I just want to followup briefly on that. So because of a--583what turned out to be a wrongful action of a rogue judge in584this case who was overturned people were basically RIFed and585not given one or 2 days' notice.586    They were, by definition, given a substantial period of587time because the original date versus the effective date was 2588months apart, right?589    Mr. Cunningham. That's absolutely right, Congressman, and I590thank you for pointing that out.591    I must say that I'm from the corporate world as you are and592you know that oftentimes when we are doing a reorg or actually593implementing a reduction in force this often happens in the594corporate world without any notice whatsoever.595    In this instance the workforce at the State Department knew596this was coming weeks if not months in advance.597    Mr. Issa. Okay. Following up on a couple of areas, as you598know, Chairman Mast has set all of us as committee members as599vice chair, the subcommittee chairman, to do a full600reorganization of the State Department.601    So this is one of the reasons it's so important was to602follow your reorganization and mirror our activity. There are a603couple of areas of concern that I want to touch with you604briefly.605    One is since 2001 the State Department has had a dual606relationship in visas with Homeland Security. Just from the607time you've been there shouldn't this committee find a way to608harmonize that so we not have a he says/she said as we have had609where your people look at somebody but they can't say ``you're610in.''611    In fact, the visa will disappear into Homeland Security for612an undetermined period of time without the ability for the613State Department to answer when they're going to be cleared or614not cleared. Is that correct?615    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Congressman, for that.616    I do manage the Consular Affairs Bureau at the State617Department and I must say that we work hand in glove and618actually quite well with the Department of Homeland Security.619    Mr. Issa. I'm going to interrupt you. No, you don't. It620doesn't work. It hasn't worked for 20-plus years. So the--I621would ask you to please look into it with a different eye.622    Look into it as to the people who, quite frankly, may be623coming back to the United States multiple times, may be coming624back for school having been in the U.S. and they cannot get a625timely answer, and the authority does not lie with the State626Department.627    But, ultimately, that's the odd situation is we rely on you628to do the interviews and then it disappears into Homeland629Security. I'm not badmouthing Homeland Security.630    I'm proposing that harmonizing the authority to a single631place of accountability may in fact be something this committee632looks at.633    Mr. Cunningham. I promise to look into that, sir.634    Mr. Issa. I'm going to look onto one that is near and dear635to my heart. Ever since the tragedy at Benghazi we have636recognized that after the departure of George W. Bush's637administration the State Department went back to its old638standard at OBO of simply wanting to do one-of-a-kind beautiful639palaces like the one in London--I call it the Crystal Palace--640with huge cost overruns and time delays.641    You currently have 24 embassies and consultants under642construction. Most are if not all are delayed. Fifteen are643delayed more than 2 years.644    The Lebanon embassy is at about twice its original645forecast, is more than 6 years under construction, is not646completed, and we continue to rent 40 separate buildings now,647making it the most expensive embassy in the world.648    What are you planning to do? What will the State Department649do to--and I'm asking you to put your businessman hat on--650returning to a standard design, returning to a schedule to--651returning to fixed contracts that have penalties for not making652deadlines, obviously, with some recognition of war and other653events that can be justified.654    But when we're talking about simply cost overruns, change655orders that they ask for and then bill you for and the like,656what are you going to do to change that to get us out of a657situation in which we cannot give you enough money to meet the658requirement of making our State Department personnel safe659around the world unless we change the time schedule and the660cost for these buildings.661    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you for that, sir.662    I am thrilled to be able to work hand in glove with our663professionals at OBO. They do an incredible job on a global664basis.665    I must say----666    Mr. Issa. Pardon me. I'm just going to interrupt briefly.667    They are the source of that overrun, the source of those668decisions to make one of buildings. So I appreciate what you're669saying but what can we do to change us?670    Under General Williams we had a program that was working.671It was reversed when President Obama came in and it's never672been sent back to a process that would give us timely delivery.673    Mr. Cunningham. One very specific thing, Congressman, that674we are doing as a result of this reorganization is looking675exactly at--one of the points you made was at contracts and the676procurement function.677    We have consolidated in this reorganization contracts and678procurement, IT, human resources, finance and accounting, and679the contracts and procurement function that took place in OBO680has now been moved to a new--it's not a bureau but it's a681directorate within the Management Bureau that will focus just682on global acquisitions.683    And so we'll have much tighter, more unified opportunity to684look at those contracts and I'm happy to work with you and your685team to make sure that we follow the kind of rules that you're686looking for.687    Mr. Issa. Thank you, and I'm pleased and I thank you for688your indulgence. Yield back.689    Mr. Lawler. Thank you, Representative Issa.690    I'm now going to start a second round of questioning and I691know there are other members on their way as well.692    Mr. Cunningham, in your testimony you mentioned the SCORE693process as a key mechanism for evaluating whether to maintain a694diplomatic presence in high-threat environments.695    Can you elaborate on how the SCORE process informs696strategic decisions about oversea posts including how it was697applied in the case of U.S. Embassy Baghdad and the698department's broader posture in Iraq?699    Mr. Cunningham. Absolutely, Chairman. Thank you for that700question.701    One of the--I'm blessed to be able to work hand in glove702with our Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Allison Hooker, on703a regular basis in the SCORE process.704    Part of that process is making sure that we support the705execution of the America First foreign policy and through that706process we're ensuring that we're looking at economic budget707issues as well as security issues to determine whether or not--708and we do this on a regular basis--whether or not that presence709is necessary for our mission.710    Quite frankly, today, if we have a presence in a particular711country, it's because that's part of our policy and I support712the execution of that policy but--and part of the process713whereby we're looking as to whether or not we need to make any714changes in our footprint on a global basis and we'll adjust our715policy accordingly.716    Mr. Lawler. I appreciate it. Thank you, sir.717    We'll now recognize for 5 minutes Representative Mfume.718    Mr. Mfume. Thank you very much.719    Mr. Cunningham, I want to ask you a couple of real simple720questions and try to get your honest reaction here.721    As you know, this past Friday the State Department laid off722over 1,300 employees including 1,100 of which were Civil723Service employees and 246 which were Foreign Service officers.724    That figure is in addition to the, roughly, 1,600 employees725who have left the agency since January, many of whom will say726that they left under duress.727    At the same time, the Foreign Service Institute has728indefinitely postponed any and all promotions, holding up729promotions and shutting the entry point for new Foreign Service730officers to get in.731    So I'm disturbed by the sheer number of employees fired but732also by the seemingly indiscriminate nature and manner of those733firings. If I'm incorrect I certainly would welcome your734comments on some of this.735    I'm concerned also about the loss of expertise from the736Civil Service and Foreign Service, employees that had dedicated737their lives, quite frankly, to serving this government, this738Nation, and the American people.739    So can you for the sake of the committee here on the record740give us a sense of what you've done since being there to ensure741that the recent staff reductions at the State Department will742not harm--will not harm--the ability of the United States to743engage in important diplomatic work?744    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Congressman.745    I can assure you right from the very start that what we're746doing will not disturb the important mission that we have.747    I would welcome the opportunity just to talk to you a748little bit about how that America First foreign policy is in749place, how that relates to the reorganization as well as the750reduction in force that you were so specific about.751    When Secretary Rubio came to office he pledged that we were752going to make foreign policy the purview of our Ambassadors, of753our embassies, of our operations overseas, and in order to754support that overseas element we decided that we needed to755streamline and consolidate our operations here in Washington,756DC, and through the reorganization as well as the attendant757reduction in forces we were able to do that.758    Indeed, if you look at the----759    Mr. Mfume. Well, let me reclaim my time here. I don't have760that much of it.761    Secretary Rubio was before this full committee and we762entertained a number of State Department persons, the last of763which was just a couple of days ago.764    I want to know, though, have you completed--since you're765saying this will not impact negatively have you completed an766assessment of the impact and the loss of expertise from the767State Department officials that have, as I said before, been768fired or let go this year?769    That's a tremendous brain trust, a tremendous wealth of770experience, and so when you extrapolate that out of an existing771workforce I need to get some idea of what assurances were made772or what assessment was done to be able to say that there is no773impact.774    Mr. Cunningham. Congressman, the assessment to actually775implement the reorganization and the attendant reduction in776force was done long in advance and, of course, we executed on777that on Friday.778    It would be short sighted of me to say that we have already779done an assessment as the--of the impact on what happened on780Friday just a few days later, less than a week since that.781    I can assure you that there are plenty of us--in fact, even782later this afternoon when I get back to the building we're783having our second meeting of a group of folks who were784responsible for the implementation of the reorganization to785make sure that we're looking at any potential anomalies that786have come to our attention.787    Mr. Mfume. Good, and I hope that you would get back to us788with those anomalies or to say that there were none, or to say789that this assessment once it is done shows no negative impact.790    Mr. Cunningham, 36 months ago the Government Accounting791Office released four recommendations, all of which were aimed792at improving diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as793accessibility in the State Department's workforce.794    The previous administration made some progress in795addressing those but of those recommendations four of them796remain open.797    Is there any plan in place by Secretary Rubio or yourself798or others to address the Government Accounting Office's799recommendations or since it is listed as DEI can we assume that800under this leadership at the State Department and at the White801House that they are dead?802    Mr. Cunningham. Under this administration, sir, we have803eliminated diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout804government. That includes the State Department.805    We have now moved to an entirely merit-based system that806looks at skill sets, language capabilities, and experience in807our identification, recruitment, hiring, and promotion and808retirement of our workforce on both the Civil Service side as809well as the Foreign Service side.810    Mr. Mfume. I understand that and my time is expiring, but811I'd be less than honest if I didn't say I don't know how a less812diverse workforce will affect the efforts of the United States813to engage with the vast amount of different peoples and814cultures that are relevant to our national interests.815    I don't know how we do that when we become less diverse. I816yield back, Mr. Chair.817    Mr. Issa. [Presiding.] The gentleman yields back.818    We now go to the gentleman from California Mr. Sherman for8195 minutes.820    Mr. Sherman. I want to echo the gentleman from Maryland. I821can't agree with him more. The world is diverse and we've--the822job of the State Department is our relationship with the world.823    Okay. You've got to decide how much effort to put in the824process of giving visas, particularly business visas, tourist825visas. Business people come here to buy products, some of them826made in my district. Tourism is a big deal for Los Angeles.827    And time and again I get calls from people who are delayed828for a year, 2 years, sometimes three or 4 months.829    I was in the business world before I came here. I know our830chair has spent a lot of time in the business world. I've never831seen a good business deal that can wait 3 months for the832meeting.833    Has the State Department ever even tried to calculate the834enormous harm that you do to our economy by basically telling835people in a lot of countries, don't try to do business in the836United States--it's a huge hassle. Don't try to visit the837United States. There are beautiful vistas elsewhere and it's a838huge hassle to get here.839    Has there been any cost benefit analysis of the decision to840have what has got to be the slowest visa-granting process of841any foreign ministry in the world?842    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Congressman, for the question.843    It's a supreme joy of mine in this seat to be able to844manage Consular Affairs at this Department of State. We are845responsible for taking a look at visa fraud, passport fraud,846human trafficking, illegal immigration on a regular basis.847    You specifically are pointing out the visa----848    Mr. Sherman. It was pretty much a yes/no question. Has849there ever been an analysis cost----850    Mr. Cunningham. The answer is yes. The answer is yes.851    Mr. Sherman. So you have an analysis that says that the852delays in issuing business and tourist visas are not costing853America billions of dollars of economic activity?854    Mr. Cunningham. The median wait time for all visas for855Consular Affairs globally is 1 month.856    Mr. Sherman. Oh, that's great if your business deal wants857to wait a month. And by the way, I get calls all the time,858particularly from India, from Pakistan, where the delay is859four, five, 6 months and----860    Mr. Issa. Would the gentleman yield to----861    Mr. Sherman. I'll yield to the chair, yes.862    Mr. Issa. Following up on that since we do see the same863situation, you're saying how long between the time you actually864get the appointment--you actually get there.865    You are aware that it can be months, many months, sometimes866beyond belief, before somebody can get the appointment that867goes there.868    So the 1-month may be a wonderful average but, you know,869Abraham Lincoln told us you could drown if you were six foot870tall in the average five foot depth river. The average doesn't871tell the story that the gentleman is talking about of delays of872months before you even get an appointment.873    Mr. Sherman. And I would hope that you would do the874analysis because there are a lot of businesses that can't wait875a month and a lot of places in the world where that visa to,876first, get the appointment and then the appointment is a month877after you get it is many, many months.878    Okay. We fired a bunch of people. You wanted to reduce the879number of staff, and it makes sense to look at the organization880chart and see some boxes and say, well, we don't need a person881in that box. We don't need a person in that box.882    But what I understand you did is if you had a superb883employee in the box that you don't need you didn't move them to884another box. You fired them, and then you could have an885underperforming employee in a box you're keeping and you're886keeping that employee.887    Did you evaluate the capacities and performance of888individuals and then put them in the boxes you wanted or did889you just fire anybody who was in a box that seemed like we890don't need that box?891    Mr. Cunningham. Congressman, the reduction in force is all892about functions and not the individual, not people.893    Mr. Sherman. Yes, but if you want to perform this function894and you have a great person that's performing a function you895don't need why not keep the great person and have them do the896function you want instead of firing people based--because in897the State Department you guys are moving people around from898function to function. It's a game of musical chairs.899    Mr. Cunningham. It's what we do. It's what we do.900    Mr. Sherman. If somebody happened to be 6 months ago a901great performer in a great function they still have a job. But902if somebody was a great performer and they've recently been903transferred to a function you don't need that great performer904is out, right?905    Mr. Cunningham. In this instance, Congressman, if someone906has been RIFed--I'll start last Friday--they will have the907opportunity to apply for a job that absolutely fits their skill908set, their experience, and their language capabilities if909that's part of the job. We have a--we have the----910    Mr. Sherman. But as far as immediate decisions you've911retained certain underperforming employees and you've912terminated some spectacular employees because you didn't913evaluate the individual employees and all of their experiences.914    You just said, well, if in the musical chair games it is915the State Department, they happen to be in a box we don't need916they're out. They can apply for something else unless if917they're really good they'll find a job in the private sector.918    I believe I've--have I gone too long?919    Mr. Issa. You've gone as long as I'm going to let you go,920Mr. Sherman.921    [Laughter.]922    Mr. Sherman. Thank you.923    Mr. Issa. Thank you. We now go to the gentleman from924Massachusetts Mr. Keating for 5 minutes.925    Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chair.926    I'm just concerned when you fired over a thousand employees927and, you know, eventually you're going to have to replace those928people--new people coming in.929    What's your pitch to those people after you've just fired a930thousand career people?931    Mr. Cunningham. Congressman, I'm afraid I didn't hear the932exact question. What's the----933    Mr. Keating. I just said you just fired more than a934thousand employees.935    Mr. Cunningham. Right.936    Mr. Keating. Eventually you're going to have to recruit and937bring new people into the service. So what's your pitch to938these people after you've just fired these career people that939are thinking of making a career here?940    I mean, what do you say to them? Maybe you'll get lucky.941Maybe if you take an allegiance to something beforehand.942    I mean, what--you know, what if you had a son or daughter943and they're thinking of a career and they want to become a944Foreign Service person and have a career here? Would you be945worried that embarking on a career where career people just got946ruthlessly fired?947    Mr. Cunningham. Congressman, there's never a perfect time948to conduct a reduction in force. We are very aware of that. We949took all the--we did everything we could with as much heart as950we could when we went through and exercised and implemented951this reduction in force on Friday.952    Mr. Keating. Oh, please. You know, I have 5 minutes but I953don't believe that. You know what my son or daughter would call954that? BS.955    This was just done so ruthlessly. So let's not even go956there because I don't have time for that. I'm concerned about957the future after you've done this and I'm concerned, too, so958many of the people that I know that have made careers and959people that I talk to that had careers a lot of those things960occurred in the university. Have you ever spoken to a U.S.961diplomat in residence?962    Mr. Cunningham. I have, sir. Yes.963    Mr. Keating. Do you see the value of that position?964    Mr. Cunningham. In many instances, absolutely.965    Mr. Keating. So you've got these young people. What would966you tell them, if it was your son or daughter, you know, about967job security?968    Mr. Cunningham. I will say--Congressman, you are perhaps969referring to some of the details and fellowships that we have970in the State Department that take place with other government971agencies, with DOD, with nongovernmental organizations, with972State and local governments, as well as with people--as well as973with Congress.974    Mr. Keating. I'm also--no, no, people at the college stage,975post college stage, who are thinking of making careers. You976know, this is going to--you don't think this would damage the977future potential to hire the best, going forward?978    Mr. Cunningham. We made a concerted effort, sir, to put in979place an organizational structure that matched the foreign980policy goals of this administration.981    Mr. Keating. Well, I'll tell you this. Those goals don't982include recruiting the best down the road coming forward. I'm983also concerned, too, when you're looking at major events like984the Olympics in 2028 and what's going, you know, are we going985to have the people in place.986    I know the Secretary of State said don't worry about it,987but I don't see how in some of these countries we're going to988have the people in place to do big functions like that.989    Mr. Cunningham. Congressman, we feel quite good about being990able to welcome visitors to the United States for the FIFA991World Cup as well as America 2025 and the Olympics in 2028.992    I will tell you that the majority of the folks that we993expect to come for the FIFA World Cup will be coming from994Mexico and Canada so those folks for the most part have visas995and are able to come into the United States.996    We have all of government effort to ensure that we are997prepared and ready for the onslaught of visitors that we998absolutely welcome to the U.S. for the Cup.999    Mr. Keating. Remember those words when the time comes1000because the way you're progressing with this and the things1001you're doing don't inspire confidence that that's going to be1002the place and invariably--we can look right down this row and1003it's our offices that get these calls all the time when these1004things aren't undertaken properly.1005    I just want to touch too--I don't have much time--on the1006cuts to the consulate offices that have occurred and the1007danger--you know, the dangers actually that represent not1008having those in place in places like France and Germany.1009    Mr. Cunningham. Well, I can tell you that with the1010reorganization and the reduction in the force that took place1011last Friday there are no cuts to the number of personnel in the1012Consular Affairs Bureau. We have--part of that whole1013reorganization----1014    Mr. Keating. My time is running out.1015    So the cuts in the--there's no cuts in the fraud prevention1016office?1017    Mr. Cunningham. No, sir.1018    Mr. Keating. There's no cuts in the consular systems?1019    Mr. Cunningham. No, sir.1020    Mr. Keating. And Technology Office?1021    Mr. Cunningham. No, sir.1022    Mr. Keating. That's not the information I have. I yield1023back.1024    Mr. Issa. The gentleman yields back.1025    We now go to the gentleman from New York for his 5 minutes.1026    Mr. Suozzi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1027    I yield my time to the ranker Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick.1028    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you, Representative.1029    I just wanted to followup on some questions. My biggest1030question is that you mentioned that you were directed to reduce1031by 15 percent for M and what was the basis of that number? How1032did you derive that 15 percent that was supposed to be cut?1033    Mr. Cunningham. That 15 percent, Congresswoman, was not1034just for the M family of bureaus but across the board at the1035State Department.1036    When we started the reorg--the discussions regarding1037reorganization we weren't looking at a specific number to cut a1038certain percentage but, rather, we worked with our under1039secretaries, with career and Foreign Service personnel, to make1040sure that we got that right.1041    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. So that 15 percent was across the1042board?1043    Mr. Cunningham. Across the board at the State Department,1044yes.1045    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. My next question--I just want to1046clarify some statements. So when it comes to the Consular1047Affairs there seems to be a discrepancy as far as the cuts1048because we have reporting that there were cuts made and you're1049saying that there were no cuts made. Is that correct?1050    Mr. Cunningham. There were no--there were no cuts in1051Consular Affairs. I would just harken back to what I said1052before it----1053    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. So our information that we have1054is different. If we can reconcile that with further1055information----1056    Mr. Cunningham. We'd be happy to work with you on that. I1057think a lot of it stems back to the fact that the decision and1058the memo that was signed for reorganization and reduction in1059force is effective May 29th and a lot of--any of those people1060that were impacted were probably in a different place, maybe in1061an office that had been eliminated on May 29th.1062    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Well, as long as we can reconcile1063it, because the information we have it does say that there were1064cuts, and so we want to see that because we're concerned about1065the impact that those cuts would have, specifically on1066processing passports and visas.1067    So once we get that we can reconcile that and move forward.1068    The second thing I wanted to talk about also were some of1069the cuts that were made to personnel in Syria. Now, Syria has1070been an area that's been very fragile and we're starting to see1071some--an uptick or some hope in Syria.1072    Reducing the number of the regional experts working on1073Syria at the same time as the State Department is working on1074reopening its embassy in Damascus is not just counterintuitive1075but it also seems like a step backward. It puts American1076citizens directly in harm's way across the Middle East.1077    I recently returned from a CODEL with Chairman Lawler in1078which the issue was raised directly. What steps are you taking1079actually to protect and make sure that we have adequate amount1080of personnel in Syria but also to support so we can make sure1081Syria does not regress?1082    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Congresswoman, for that very1083good question. I'm thrilled to be able to have been part of the1084initial discussions about the changes that took place as a1085result of President Trump's trip to the Middle East a little1086more than a month ago.1087    It was during that time that he was able to--the President1088himself was able to meet with the president of Syria and as a1089result of that, quite frankly, everything in the Middle East1090has changed.1091    We are looking forward to giving the Syrian people and the1092Syrian government an opportunity to an economic and diplomatic1093opportunity to deal with the rest of the world. In this seat as1094Under Secretary of Management, I worked hand in glove with our1095Operations Center Task Force, which was put in place to make1096sure that we looked at all of----1097    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Because my time is running out--1098--1099    Mr. Cunningham. Please.1100    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick [continuing]. we want to know1101about implementation and the proper number of personnel to1102carry out that implementation. So with those cuts we want to1103know how you're going to fill in. Do they have the accurate1104expertise to make sure that we're successful in Syria?1105    Mr. Cunningham. I have very good news for you,1106Congresswoman.1107    I do work very, very closely with our Ambassador to Turkey.1108His name is Tom Barrack. He is also the special envoy to Syria1109and he's already made a couple of trips to Damascus to meet1110with the president of Syria.1111    All of the--many of the functions that are required to get1112the proper security in place and get the right team in place in1113order for him to make that trip successful and to raise the1114flag above our embassy there--our Ambassador's residence there1115on May 29th--fall under the purview of the Management Bureau.1116    And I was thrilled to be a part of that. We are looking1117every single day--every time he wants to take a trip to the1118region we work hand in glove with the----1119    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. So as my time is running out,1120could we receive from your office specific details of what1121steps were taken so we can be able to make sure that we're on1122an upward course and not a downward trajectory by having the1123proper amount of personnel?1124    Mr. Cunningham. I'm happy, Congresswoman, to work with you1125on that, yes.1126    Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick. Thank you. I yield back.1127    Mr. Lawler. [Presiding.] Mr. Cunningham, I just want to1128followup on one thing.1129    In today's threat environment cybersecurity and1130counterintelligence must be fully integrated into all levels of1131State Department operations with functions spread across1132various bureaus and families.1133    Coordination and clarity are critical. How is the Bureau of1134Management overseeing counterintelligence and cyber security1135functions department wide?1136    Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, Chairman, for that question.1137    In today's multipolar world where we are facing challenges1138that are so unique to the 21st century, obviously, defending1139against cyberattacks is a very important function of the1140Management Bureau.1141    We have identified and responded to two very specific1142nation State cyber-attacks recently, and we're doing everything1143we can to ensure that our records retention and records review1144of anything related to WhatsApp and Signal are part and parcel1145of what we do.1146    We also have done something through this reorganization,1147sir, to make sure that all of the--in fact, I think it was1148seven or eight bureaus in the department had their own IT shops1149and so we have consolidated that under our chief information1150officer and we'll get the economies of scale that we need out1151of that operation.1152    Mr. Lawler. Furthering up on this, what steps are being1153taken to embed counter intelligence awareness and training into1154the daily operations of overseas missions?1155    Mr. Cunningham. That's a very important question, sir.1156    There are a number of trainings that take place. In fact,1157we're reimagining the kind of training that is necessary.1158Earlier I think one of your colleagues mentioned the Foreign1159Service Institute.1160    We're making sure that we have the right kind of training1161and skill sets in place that will address any counter terrorist1162issues before they head off and go overseas.1163    In fact, I'm--I think next week I'm going through a 2-day1164training just to make sure that I understand what that training1165entails and make sure that it also matches our goals in the1166America First foreign policy agenda.1167    Mr. Lawler. I appreciate that. I thank the witness for his1168valuable testimony as well as the members for their questions.1169I thank the ranking member as well.1170    The members of the subcommittee may have some additional1171questions for the witness and we will ask you to respond to1172these in writing.1173    Pursuant to committee rules, all members may have 5 days to1174submit statements, questions, and extraneous materials for the1175record subject to the length limitations.1176    Without objection, the committee stands adjourned.1177    [Whereupon, at 3:03 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]11781179                                APPENDIX11801181                              ----------11821183               Material Submitted for the Hearing Record1184[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]11851186                                 [all]