House Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at improving diversity at the State Department by establishing a senior post in the agency tasked with increasing the numbers of women, minorities and those with disabilities serving in the foreign and civil service.
The proposed legislation comes amid the national reckoning with race relations and calls from former senior State Department officials and diplomats for greater diversity in senior positions.
The bill, called the Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of State Act, seeks to establish a chief diversity officer within the office of secretary of State, elevating diversity promotion to the leadership level and calling for that person to be a member of the foreign or civil service, presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed. [Read more]