Bill Text: VA SR177 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the United States Foreign Service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-08 - Bill text as passed Senate (SR177ER) [SR177 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SR177-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 100 years, the United States Foreign Service has carried out vital diplomacy, implemented the foreign policy of the United States, and provided assistance to American citizens living, working, and traveling abroad; and
WHEREAS, in the early history of the United States, the diplomatic service provided ambassadors and ministers to staff overseas embassies, while the consular service provided consuls to assist American mariners in foreign ports and promote international trade and commerce; and
WHEREAS, in 1924, the United States Congress passed the Rogers Act, introduced by Representative John Jacobs Rogers, merging the duties, responsibilities, and personnel of the diplomatic and consular services into a single administrative unit, the United States Foreign Service, under the U.S. Department of State; and
WHEREAS, prior to the creation of the United States Foreign Service, ambassadors and consuls were appointed by the president and, for many years, earned no salary due to an expectation that they would support themselves through private business or by collecting fees; and
WHEREAS, the United States Foreign Service reshaped the institutions of American diplomacy by developing a rigorous examination to ensure the recruitment of the most outstanding individuals and implementing a merit-based promotion system; and
WHEREAS, the United States Foreign Service has grown steadily over the years, and there are currently more than 13,900 Foreign Service professionals stationed at the 279 diplomatic missions around the world, including embassies, consulates, and other facilities, or in Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, in the course of American history, more than 321 diplomats and Foreign Service professionals have died in the line duty; their names are inscribed on memorial plaques in the lobby of the U.S. Department of State office to honor their sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, members of the United States Foreign Service continue to provide accurate information, expert counsel, and wise guidance to policymakers, the media, and scholars; their accomplishments and critical insights on foreign events are often recorded in oral histories that are managed by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training and filed with the Frontline Diplomacy Collection at the Library of Congress; and
WHEREAS, shortly after the creation of the United States Foreign Service, the Consular Association was reestablished as the American Foreign Service Association, which has operated as the primary professional association of the Foreign Service community since that time and as a labor union for more than 50 years; and
WHEREAS, the American Foreign Service Association will celebrate the milestone 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service with a variety of events, including a special commemorative edition of The Foreign Service Journal in May 2024; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the United States Foreign Service hereby be commended on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the American Foreign Service Association and the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for the important mission and outstanding achievements of American diplomats and Foreign Service members around the globe.
