Expeditionary Diplomacy Act

Summary of HR 8161 – Expeditionary Diplomacy Act (119th Congress, 2nd Session)

Purpose

HR 8161, titled the Expeditionary Diplomacy Act, aims to formalize and expand the practice of expeditionary diplomacy within the U.S. Department of State. The bill seeks to define expeditionary diplomacy, assess and address barriers to its broader use, create an internal “Tiger Team” to develop recommendations, and encourage risk-informed diplomatic engagement in high-threat environments.

Key Provisions

1. Definition and Scope (Section 2)

   • Establishes a requirement for the Secretary of State to submit a report within 90 days of enactment defining “expeditionary diplomacy,” explaining how it differs from standard diplomacy.
   • The definition should describe how expeditionary diplomacy would operate in high-security-risk environments, including relevance to the Diplomatic Security Act and related authorities.

2. Consultation (Section 2)

   • Requires consulting external stakeholders (e.g., American Academy of Diplomacy, American Foreign Service Association) during the formulation of the definition.

3. GAO Comptroller General Review (Section 3)

   • Within 18 months after the definition report, the Comptroller General must produce a report on challenges to expeditionary diplomacy at the Department of State and U.S. embassies/posts, with recommendations.
   • Content includes:
     • Assessment of regional security officers’ capacity to enable expeditionary diplomacy and recommendations to address gaps.
     • External and internal challenges limiting practice among Chiefs of Mission and Foreign Service personnel.
     • Evaluation of existing initiatives, laws, and regulations (including Diplomatic Security Act provisions and related NSS 2023 changes) and their effectiveness.
     • Review of past and ongoing efforts to enable expeditionary diplomacy, lessons learned, and applicability to broader Departmental use.
     • Analysis of how personnel policies affect ability to serve extended tours in high-risk postings and develop country-level expertise; recommendations to incentivize such service.

4. Sense of Congress (Section 4)

   • Encourages inclusion in Presidential “Letters of Instruction” of risk management practices to promote meaningful expeditionary diplomacy and engagement with local populations in high-threat settings.

5. Amendments to Chief of Mission Authority (Section 5)

   • Amends section 207(a) of the Foreign Service Act to require the Chief of Mission to exercise risk management practices that encourage relevant U.S. government employees in-country to regularly and meaningfully engage in expeditionary diplomacy and engage with local populations.

6. Establishment of Expeditionary Diplomacy Tiger Team (Section 6)

   • Establishes a Tiger Team within one year of enactment to propose improvements enabling Chiefs of Mission and Regional Security Officers to approve and practice expeditionary diplomacy and to ensure Foreign Service members can engage regularly.
   • Composition: Department personnel, including at least one official reporting to the Under Secretary of Political Affairs, personnel with international development expertise, and representatives from the Diplomatic Security, Administration, Diplomatic Technology, Resources, Medical Services, and Overseas Building Operations bureaus.
   • Tiger Team Leader: A senior State Department official who leads the team for the duration of the team’s activities.
   • Duties:
     • Produce recommendations to enhance readiness and willingness to practice expeditionary diplomacy.
     • Collaborate with external stakeholders (e.g., American Academy of Diplomacy, American Foreign Service Association, Overseas Security Advisory Council, and others as identified).
     • Deliver an initial plan within 18 months outlining:
     • Assessment of current capabilities, reviews of prior and current efforts, challenges, and policy/regulatory/legislative recommendations.
     • A timeline and required resources to implement the plan.
   • Implementation and Oversight:
     • Secretary to implement the plan per the timeline.
     • Tiger Team to provide updates to Congress at least every 90 days during implementation.
   • Final Report and Termination:
     • A final report due within 2 years detailing challenges, recommended solutions (including required resources and authorities), implementation timelines, and an office designated to monitor post-Tiger Team execution.
     • After final report, a 90-day monitoring period followed by termination of the Tiger Team.

7. Defined “Appropriate Congressional Committees” (Section 7)

   • The bill designates the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as the appropriate committees for reporting and oversight.

Who and What Would Be Affected

• Department of State personnel: Chiefs of Mission, Regional Security Officers, and Foreign Service members who would be engaged in expeditionary diplomacy in high-risk or elevated-security environments.
• State Department bureaus and offices: Including Diplomatic Security, Administration, Diplomatic Technology, Resources, Medical Services, and Overseas Building Operations (as participating members of the Tiger Team).
• External stakeholders: American Academy of Diplomacy, American Foreign Service Association, Overseas Security Advisory Council, and other appropriate partners.
• Legislative/oversight entities: The Comptroller General (GAO) and the designated congressional committees (House Foreign Affairs, Senate Foreign Relations) for reporting and monitoring.

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

• Definition report due within 90 days of enactment.
• GAO review due within 18 months of the definition report.
• Tiger Team to be established within 1 year; initial plan due within 18 months; final report due within 2 years.
• Ongoing updates to Congress on implementation every 90 days during Tiger Team activities.
• Termination of the Tiger Team 90 days after the final required report.

Observational Notes

• The bill emphasizes risk management, stakeholder collaboration, and periodic congressional oversight.
• It creates a formal mechanism (Tiger Team) to diagnose barriers and chart a path to broaden and normalize expeditionary diplomacy across relevant U.S. government personnel.
• It aligns with existing security and diplomacy frameworks (including the Diplomatic Security Act provisions and related 2023 NDAA amendments) while proposing new organizational and policy steps to institutionalize expeditionary diplomacy.