WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the reported resignation of Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Bill Miller:

“After making the Benghazi tragedy a pillar of his campaign with little regard for the facts, the President might be expected to prioritize key diplomatic security positions. But what's becoming clearer every day is that he only cried a few crocodile tears before sidelining the State Department and pushing a budget that would cut diplomatic security funding by nearly a fifth.                                                                                                

“If he cared about protecting our Foreign Service officers, he would have long ago nominated an Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, as I called on him to do nearly three months ago. Not only has he failed to do that, but now the acting official in that position is also on the way out. It sends a terrible message that, as the Secretary of State is taking a few days off, this Administration won't fill the role of the senior official charged with the safety of our diplomats. It's an absolute abrogation of leadership by the President and Secretary Tillerson, and it's putting American lives at risk.”

Background:

On May 8, Rep. Engel, along with the 20 other Democratic members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, wrote to President Trump urging him to nominate an Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security.

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