Rep. Sara Jacobs Questions State Department Official on Global Fragility Act Implementation Amid Staff Layoffs

Concerns Over Global Fragility Act (GFA) Implementation

• 📌 Representative Sara Jacobs raised concerns about the State Department's ability to implement the Global Fragility Act (GFA) following the closure of the Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau and the dismissal of its staff.
• 💡 The GFA, designed to make foreign assistance more strategic and effective, was intended to implement lessons learned from past US stabilization efforts in regions like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

State Department's Rationale for Reorganization

• 🎯 Deputy Secretary Michael Rigas stated that the functions of the closed office will be absorbed by regional bureaus, empowering them and ambassadors to carry out diplomatic functions.
• 🗺️ He emphasized a shift towards empowering regional offices rather than relying on specific functional offices for these tasks.

Questions on Staffing and Expertise

• ❓ Jacobs questioned how the department would replace the expertise and institutional knowledge of the approximately 20 staff members previously dedicated to GFA implementation.
• ⚠️ She highlighted that foreign service officers and civil servants in regional bureaus are already stretched thin, and adding significant programmatic, coordinating, and monitoring responsibilities without the GFA expertise could be problematic.
• 🤝 Jacobs stressed that the GFA is a bipartisan priority that originated during the Trump administration.

Hiring and Future Plans

• 📈 Rigas mentioned that the department is hiring or in the process of hiring back approximately 400 individuals who previously worked at USAID, as well as 400 locally employed staff.
• 🧐 He stated that the department would consider hiring back specific expertise if needed by ambassadors or regional bureaus, adhering to prescriptive rules around reductions in force and hiring.
• 📝 Jacobs requested a clear written plan detailing how the department will implement the GFA, including ensuring adequate staffing with appropriate conflict expertise and implementation experience, and clarification on which entity will be ultimately responsible for GFA implementation.