Press Release | AAD Applauds the Passage of the State Department Authorization Act

Washington, D.C. – The American Academy of Diplomacy congratulates Congress on the passage of the State Department Authorization Act of 2022 within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY23. In particular, the Academy praises the bipartisan cooperation and work by Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Senator Robert Menendez, SFRC ranking member Senator James Risch, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Chairman Gregory Meeks, ranking HFAC member Michael McCaul, as well as other members and staff of their committees. Without their extensive efforts no State Department Authorization would have been possible. The State Department Authorization Act is a critical part of guiding the work of America’s diplomats and ensuring the proper oversight of the State Department. American diplomacy is well served by this new Authorization, which has passed for the second year after a long pause. We thank House and Senate leadership for their support. We are also very grateful for the effort that Senator Chris Murphy and Representatives Sara Jacobs and Adam Kinzinger devoted to the passage of the Accountability Review Board reform that is part of the State Department Authorization Act. The Academy expresses its hope that this new pattern of cooperation and success will again be possible in the new Congress beginning in January 2023. Now that the NDAA together with the State Department Authorization Act have been approved by Congress, the Academy calls on President Biden to sign this bill into law.

The American Academy of Diplomacy is a non-partisan and non-governmental organization of former senior diplomats and other foreign policy practitioners, including both career and non-career appointees. It is dedicated to strengthening the professionalism of diplomacy and explaining to the American people the importance of U.S. diplomacy. This statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Academy.

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