Letter to the Honorable Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State - Appointment of Diplomats to State Department

Letter

Dear Secretary Tillerson:

We are writing in response to reports that this administration will not continue the State Department's office of the Coordinator for Sanctions Policy. As members of Congress who support diplomacy and multilateral sanctions, we urge you to maintain and prioritize the appointment of this critical position in State's Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions deputate.

The State Department's 2010 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) called for improving State's capacity to use sanctions and support efforts to combat illicit finance, including the establishment of the office of the Coordinator for Sanctions policy under the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions (DAS). In its most recent inspection of the Bureau of Economic Business Affairs (EB), the State Department's Inspector General reported that "the coordinator and DAS meet frequently and cooperate on briefing Congress and consultations with foreign governments. EB staff provides substantial support to the coordinator, particularly on Iran sanctions."

We should not be cutting this office at a time when we are actively seeking support from European allies and others around the world to join the United States in imposing sanctions on Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. Rather, it is critical that the State Department maintains the position of Coordinator at the rank of Ambassador, and swiftly appoints an experienced, senior diplomat to this role. Doing so would also demonstrate this administration's commitment to a comprehensive and coordinated interagency sanctions policy.

We believe that pursuing multilateral sanctions, including U.N Security Council resolutions, is one of the most effect means of exerting maximum pressure on the United States' adversaries. The U.S. currently has at least 27 different sanctions regimes in place, including those authorized by the recently-passed Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (CAATSA). We are hopeful that restoring this office will help this administration to implement these overdue Congressionally-mandated sanctions.

The United States must continue to pursue cooperation with our allies to implement, enforce, and strengthen crippling multilateral sanctions against our adversaries. We urge you to use your authority to fully staff State's Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions with the Coordinator for Sanctions Policy.

Thanks in advance for your prompt reply.