Blinken, Now Secretary of State, Faces Challenges at Home and Abroad
Tony Blinken, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster)
Are you ready to apply Make sure you understand all the responsibilities and tasks associated with this role before proceeding.
WASHINGTON Antony Blinken, confirmed as America’s top diplomat by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, now faces a myriad of problems both within the agency he will now lead and abroad.
Confirmed by a 78-22 vote Tuesday afternoon, Blinken is now the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo.
The position is the most senior Cabinet position, and for those who keep track of such things, he is now fourth in the line of presidential succession.
For President Joe Biden, a longtime friend, Blinken’s most important international role will be that of international fixer, renewing bonds with allies that were left in tatters by former President Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy doctrine.
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken told the panel that American leadership still matters.
When we’re not engaged, when we’re not leading, then one of two things is likely to happen. Either some other country tries to take our place, but not in a way that’s likely to advance our interests and values, or maybe just as bad, no one does and then you have chaos.
Closer to home, Blinken faces a similarly daunting challenge : How to rebuild a depleted staff while restoring morale.
Since 1992, according to the Partnership for Public Service , administrations of both political parties have launched 11 separate initiatives to organizationally reform the department.
The fact that many of the same challenges such as underfunding, concentrated authority, cumbersome bureaucratic procedures and outdated IT infrastructure have persisted throughout the past 30 years despite these efforts indicates the stubbornness of the department’s long standing issues, the organization says.
It also suggests the need for a new approach to resolving them.
Blinken appeared well aware of the challenges during his testimony before the Foreign Affairs Committee, telling Senators last week that a combination of workforce attrition and a sharp decline in morale had left the agency with 1,000 fewer employees than it had at the start of the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump instituted the hiring freeze upon taking office in January 2017.
The Office of Management and Budget lifted the freeze in mid-April of that year, but the State Department unilaterally continued it for another 13 months under the tenure of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
In August 2019, the State Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report that showed the hiring freeze had broad and negative impacts on the agency, including its ability to ensure the safety and wellbeing of personnel domestically and abroad.
According to the report, 96% of embassies and consulates and 95% of domestic bureaus and offices who responded to OIG’s surveys said the hiring freeze had a somewhat negative or very negative effect on overall operations.
Some 97% of embassies and consulates and 100% of bureaus and offices told OIG that the freeze negatively impacted employee morale and welfare.
Although Trump’s second Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, lifted the hiring freeze, his action wasn’t enough to offset the overall staff reduction.
Blinken told the panel that going forward, he’s committed to doing more than simply bringing people back and filling the slots that are now empty.
It’s making sure that to the best of our ability, we’re building a workforce that has the skill set to deal with the incredibly complex challenges that we’re facing that are very different from the challenges we faced in previous generations, Blinken said.
Blinken also told the senators that he would seek additional hiring authorities and increased flexibility to add employees to the agency’s ranks.
If he follows through, his strategy would align nicely with that laid out by the Partnership for Public Service in its report, which said agency transformation requires good ideas and realistic strategies as well as clear focus and workforce buy-in, which are encouraged through committed leadership.
The executive summary of the report concludes, To help the department address these issues and renew the power of diplomacy, there are a number of practical, high-impact recommendations that can be accomplished within 6-12 months without additional congressional authority.
By focusing on the talent management life cycle recruiting, hiring, orientation, performance management, professional development and career advancement, succession planning and leveraging workforce data the civil and foreign service staff can be better prepared to address deeper challenges and create momentum for a broader agency revitalization initiative, it continues.
Moreover, through the quick wins of implementation of these proposals, the department’s leaders can garner the necessary support of the White House and Congress to implement a larger reform program.
Who is America's 71st Secretary of State?
WASHINGTON Repercussions from former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election continued this week when his former attorney was disbarred in Washington, D.
C., and an election machine company falsely accused of fraud settled a defamation lawsuit. Rudy Giuliani, who used legal action... Read More
SAN FRANCISCO A new ranking of the best and worst states in the United States for health care in 2024 finds the healthiest Americans have access to health care services and affordable insurance to pay for it.
The grades come from MoneyGeek, the personal finance... Read More
NEW YORK CBS News on Friday announced the rules of engagement for the upcoming debate between Democratic vice-presidential nominee Gov.
Tim Walz, of Minnesota, and Republican nominee Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio. The biggest change in the rules compared to other debates this year is... Read More
WASHINGTON An offshore wind energy auction planned for potential lease areas off the coast of Oregon on Oct. 15 has been postponed due to insufficient bidder interest, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Friday.
The Department of the Interior had announced the lease sale in... Read More
BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman’s home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim’s family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.
Marcellus Williams, 55, was... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure on Friday provided the latest sign that price pressures are easing, a trend that is expected to fuel further Fed interest rate cuts this year and next.
Prices rose just 0.1% from July to August, the Commerce Department said,... Read More
J-18808-Ljbffr
Legislative Attorney (Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, or Courts and Civil Procedure) (Vacancy#:VAR002913)
ALD's areas of research, analysis, and consultative support include all facets of law in the United States, including administrative, business, civil rights, constitutional, energy, environmental, health, immigration, intellectual property, international, labor, military, national security, procurem...
Breastfeeding Promotion Consultant (HSC3) DOH7840 at Washington State Department of Health
This role supports the Office of Nutrition Services (ONS) within the Division of Prevention and Community Health (PCH), in advancing the mission of promoting and supporting breastfeeding, increasing access to healthy foods, and enhancing community health. Contribute to WIC and DOH workgroups, partic...
Aged & Disability Support Worker - Perth South
To continue this unwavering standard of quality care, we look for people who build our culture, who are sensitive and adaptable to clients’ different personalities, cultural backgrounds, and home dynamics, and who align with our values of flexibility, approachability, accountability, collaboration a...
Recreation Manager at Washington State Department of Natural Resources
The incumbent coordinates the recreation program, including landscape-level recreation planning, volunteer coordination, event permitting and management, and the coordination and oversight of Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew projects within their assigned geographic area. Communicate and wor...
Scheduler and Administrative Officer
Our clients remain at the forefront of what we do, building strong lasting relationships and offering continuity and personalised care. Right at Home is one of the leading providers of quality in-home care in Australia. Proficient in Microsoft Office and VisualCare or other rostering software. We hi...
Communications Consultant at Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Bachelor's degree in communications of visual media or closely related field AND at least four years of experience in a media relations role, OR an equivalent combination of education and/or experience. This position provides strategic guidance to the agency, in coordination with the Communications ...
DSHS ESA Policy, Legal & Publication Manager
Professionals with a Juris Doctorate and current admission to practice law in Washington State with good standing and a minimum of five years of paid, professional-level experience in some combination of the following:. Identify, initiate, plan, and implement appropriate strategy and tactics to ensu...
Forest Health Specialist at Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Perform assignments relating to wildland fire preparedness such as: conducting hazard risk assessments at single residence and community level; coordinating and accomplishing Wildland Urban Interface mapping to include structure protection assessments and in/egress fire hazard assessments; working o...
Vice President, Certification & Accreditation
The Vice President for Certification & Accreditation (Vice President) is responsible for overseeing the administration and ongoing development of CSBS’ Examiner Certification Program (ECP) and the CSBS Accreditation Program for state financial regulatory agencies. Evaluate and work with the PSC ...
Program Assistant, China and Northeast Asia
It is the policy and practice of USIP to offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, HIV/AIDS s...