Government Executive
email House Easily Passes Measure to Boost Hiring, Bonuses at State Department
Lawmakers say the momentous authorization bill, the first in 20 years, would prevent the politicization and targeting and impunity that have hurt morale at the department in recent years.
Senior Correspondent
The House on Tuesday easily approved a bipartisan measure to better support the State Department’s workforce, including by increasing hiring, retention and bonuses.
The 2021 State Department Authorization Act (H.R. 1157) would be the first such broad operating guideline for State in nearly two decades and would focus on boosting the department s ranks of foreign service personnel and civil servants. After years of shedding staff and faltering efforts to improve diversity within the diplomatic corps, the bipartisan sponsors of the legislation said their bill would address the “vexing” problems facing State.
Democrats abandon plan to delay Israel arms sale amid Gaza onslaught middleeasteye.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from middleeasteye.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A man walks past the the rubble of the Yazegi residential building that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday.
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WASHINGTON President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mounted and pressure grew on Biden to move more forcefully to stop the fighting.
Top Biden administration officials underscored to the Israelis on Monday and Tuesday that time is not on their side in terms of international objections to nine days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets, and that it is in their interest to wind down the operations soon, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the private talks and s
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House Democrats rejected a Republican push on Tuesday to consider legislation that would apply sanctions on Hamas militants amid an escalating military conflict with Israel.
Democrats blocked a bid to bring the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act up for consideration in a 217-209 vote along party lines. The bill, introduced by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., would impose sanctions on foreign entities known to have provided financial assistance to Hamas, among other measures. Under my bill the United States will sanction these groups that are supporting terrorism, Mast said in a floor speech in support of the legislation. Or if we do not pass this bill, we will not stand together to sanction these groups that are enabling this terrorism.
President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday.