The
president's budget request (pdf) for the
State Department and foreign operations includes funding for 599 new jobs, 75
percent of those overseas. One-hundred thirty of those will go to expanded
diplomatic and consular operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The rest
are spread around the State Department and the world.
"We at the
State Department and USAID are ready and eager to take the lead in carrying out
the President‘s foreign policy agenda," wrote Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. "Indeed, our work has already begun."
Here are some
of the bureaus that are about to get much bigger, and some that are not ... assuming
the budget request makes it through Congress intact, that is:
Winners:
Bureau of African Affairs: The AF request
includes $12 million for 37 new positions, 34 of those overseas. Two of the new
jobs would be civil service, and one domestic Foreign Service.
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs: Thirty-six
new positions in this shop would be realized if the request for $10.7 million
in new funds are met. Fourteen domestic and 22 new overseas jobs would go
primarily to Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs: NEA is
requesting $9 million for 30 new positions, 22 of them overseas, which will
allow staff expansions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo, Algiers, Amman, Dhahran (Saudi
Arabia), and Jerusalem. "Program positions will support expanded engagement in
Libya, monitoring economic activities in UAE and cultivating and expanding
bilateral relationships with Saudi Arabia."
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs: The
administration is requesting $8 million in new funding for 27 new jobs at EAP,
23 of those overseas. "Resources requested will also support outreach to new
audiences and dialogues that advance U.S. interests," the State Department
said. Interesting...
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs: SCA
is requesting $7 million for 25 new jobs, not counting Afghanistan and
Pakistan. The 19 overseas positions will be to expand the bureau's presence in India,
Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs: The
request for PM was $38.2 billion, a 6 percent increase over last year, and PM's
staff would increase by 17 positions if the budget request was enacted as is.
PM is also going to play a key role in State's takeover of the Pakistani
Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, a major $1.2 billion operation. More on that
later.
Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor: The administration is
requesting $1.6 million toward 19 new positions in this bureau, most of which
will be to vet foreign assistance programs to make sure money won't go to human
rights violators, as mandated by law under what's known as the Leahy amendment.
Losers:
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs:
The president requested $2.3 million for seven new jobs in the European affairs
bureau, toward the goal of promotion of a "peaceful, united and democratic
Europe," as well as, "increased engagement in the Balkans and Turkey."
Bureau of Intelligence and Research: $1
million of new funding requested for seven new positions at INR, to focus on
counterterrorism, cyber security, and information protection.
Bureau of Administration: Only six new
jobs for this bureau, but lots of new money requested to purchase expanded
office space, perform a major renovation of the Blair House, and purchase
property being abandoned by the Army at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Bureau of Legislative Affairs: Only three
new jobs proposed for this bureau at a cost of $185,000, a key function in the
administration's defense of its budget request on Capitol Hill.
Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business
Affairs: Only two new jobs worth $181,000 for the EB bureau, to help it out
with cybersecurity and investment policy.
Notable:
Office of the Secretary: The president
requested $630,000 for nine new hires in the secretary's personal office, six which
are designated to the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism.
Human Resources: Six new jobs for the Bureau of Human Resources
but 99 new jobs for the Human Resources Initiative.
Foreign Service Institute: $1.4 billion
plus six new positions for FSI, which will expand language training in critical
needs languages including Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Russian, and Chinese. FSI will
also have an increased role in Civilian Response Corps training and will expand
its distance-learning options.
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