WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday applauded Committee passage of the Diplomatic Support and Security Act.

“The United States faces an increasing number of conflicts around the world that cannot be brought to an end through military force alone, which is why we need experienced diplomats deployed on the ground in fragile states and conflict zones. American troops are highly capable and skilled, but nothing can replace the value of diplomacy, especially in countries like Iraq and Yemen where the conflicts have complicated political and economic roots. I’m glad the Committee passed this bipartisan legislation to get the State Department out of its bunker mentality and balance the inherent risks of expeditionary diplomacy with the potential value to U.S. national security,” said Murphy.

Last March, Murphy introduced the Expeditionary Diplomacy Act, legislation to ensure we have sufficient diplomatic and political expertise on the ground in fragile states and conflict zones. The committee-passed version of the Diplomatic Support and Security Act merges elements of the Expeditionary Diplomacy Act and related legislation introduced by Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho).

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