WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has been named Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development, which will be at the center of Senate action on the Biden-Harris administration’s plans to ensure that U.S. foreign policy delivers for the American people. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) will serve as the Ranking Member of the subcommittee.
“I am honored to have this opportunity to lead the Senate’s Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development at this critical time,” said Senator Cardin. “Significant damage has been inflicted upon the State Department and USAID over the past four years. To protect and deliver for the American people, the United States needs to be leading on the world stage. I look forward to working closely with Senator Hagerty as we build back better the State Department and USAID.”
“We need to invest significantly in building a diverse and inclusive State Department and USAID. We cannot advance U.S. interests globally without diplomatic and development institutions that are truly representative of the American people,” Senator Cardin continued. “A diverse, properly resourced team will further our efforts to ensure that human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption are at the center of our foreign policy. We must live our values at home and abroad.”
Senator Cardin has been a longstanding senior member of the SFRC, including serving as Ranking Member of the committee (2015-2018). Senator Cardin also will serve on the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues; Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation; and the Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy.
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