Policy Issues

AFSA's Priority Issues

AFSA's policy and executive staff have identified the issues listed below as the most pressing ones facing the Foreign Service today. We work on these issues on a daily basis and eagerly look forward to reporting successes as they occur. Please feel free to get in touch with Director of Policy Ed Dickens (dickens@afsa.org, 202-944-5517) or Executive Assistant Patrick Bradley (bradley@afsa.org, 202-944-5506) for further details on each issue.

  • Foreign Relations Appropriations
  • Overseas Comparability Pay
  • Pay Freeze
  • Possible Government Shutdown
  • Core Precepts
  • Professional Education and Training
  • Strategy to Address Mid-Level Staffing Gap
  • Generalist Mid-Level Entry
  • Hiring Mechanisms
  • Waivers on Suspension of Annuities for WAE/Salary and Hours Caps
  • Equalizations of Benefits between Agencies
  • Transparency and Fairness in Security Clearances
  • Separate Maintenance Allowance
  • Foreign Relations Authorization Bill
  • Political Appointee Ambassadors
  • Worldwide Availability
  • War Zone Parity with Military (Tax and Health)
  • USAID/State Coordination and Amalgamation
  • Low Ranking
  • Survivor Benefits Servicing
  • Retirement Age
  • Federal Employee Entitlements
  • Domestic Partner Issues
  • Parental Leave
  • WEP/GPO Modification and/or Elimination
  • Premium Conversion
  • Diplomatic Privileges and Status of Specialists
  • Employment of Family Members

If you feel that AFSA should devote its energy and attention to additional issues, please do not hesitate to let us know.