House Democrats are encouraging President-elect Joe Biden to diversify the State Department, citing the need for foreign ambassadors to reflect the demographics of the country.
Reps. Joaquin Castro and Veronica Escobar wrote to Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, that there are “grave disparities in racial and ethnic minority representation in the Foreign Service,” according to Axios.
The Washington Examiner requested a copy of the letter.
“People are policy — and the diplomats who represent the United States to the world should reflect the diversity of the American people,” Castro wrote.
The Texas Democrat has long sought more diversity efforts at the State Department.
In December, Castro helped introduce legislation that would increase accountability for retaining and promoting a diverse diplomatic workforce. The bill requested that a “substantial” number of women and minorities be appointed to the Foreign Service Board of Examiners and the Foreign Service Selection Boards and that it mandate diversity and inclusion training in the department.
A Government Accountability Office report put out last year showed that the department struggled to reach an adequate number for minority representation, with only 14% of senior officers made up of minorities. Nearly one-fourth, 24%, of the overall workforce reflected people of color.
Ned Price, a transition spokesman for Biden, alluded that the administration would be committed to achieving a diverse workforce in the department.
“The President-elect and Secretary-designate Blinken know that the power of our example is strongest when we are leveraging diversity — especially among women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented groups — at all levels, including senior leadership,” Price said.
