Oct 17 2017

Graham Meets With Secretary Of State Tillerson

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on his meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.  Graham is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the Senate Appropriations Committee which oversees State Department funding.

“I had a great meeting with Secretary Tillerson and his team this morning about their efforts to reform and reorganize the State Department. 

“Secretary Tillerson is aggressively seeking to modernize the Department, starting with IT systems and human resources.  According to the Secretary, he’s getting a lot of valuable information by asking professionals in the Department a simple question – ‘What can we do to make you more efficient and successful in your job and career?’  I believe his years of experience in the private sector will be beneficial to reshaping the Department to make it more cost-effective, efficient, and relevant in meeting today’s foreign policy challenges.

“Secretary Tillerson noted the rapid growth of special envoys, representatives, advisors, and coordinators – and their support staff – at the Department over the past decade. Many report directly to the Secretary.  He has my support in reviewing these positions and eliminating those duplicative of other State Department efforts. 

“Secretary Tillerson and I also share a commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our diplomats and development officers.  Those who serve in harm’s way on behalf of our nation deserve our full support, and their welfare must always remain a top priority to the State Department.

“Finally, I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Tillerson, and my colleagues in the Senate and House to modernize and reform the State Department.  We need to ensure the funds appropriated for State Department operations are managed well, spent efficiently, and put American national security interests first.”

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