September 14, 2022
**Shaheen is the only female member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and fought many times Republican filibuster to advance the appointment of Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues**
**Shaheen also successfully adds an amendment based on its standalone legislation that would punish those guilty of human rights abuses against LGBTQI people overseas**
(Washington, DC) – US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperationissued the following statement after the committee approved the State Department Authorization Act of 2022, which provides for the organization and operation of the U.S. Department of State and addresses many matters within the jurisdiction of the agency, including personnel, security and construction of embassies, information security and cyber diplomacy, public diplomacy and other matters and authorities.
Shaheen worked successfully to include two provisions: one that would deal with abnormal health incidents (AHI), also known as directed energy attacks, and one based on his standalone legislation – the Global Respect Act – which would impose sanctions and block travel to the United States on foreigners responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people abroad. In addition, Shaheen specifically highlighted the importance of the Office of Global Women’s Issues and urged committee members to support the office’s codification efforts.
“As we have seen particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is paramount to ensure that our Department of State is fully operational with the resources, management, and support necessary to engage our partners and allies. Our national security requires a robust diplomatic corps and the measures included in this legislation are essential to that end,” said Shaheen. “I am particularly encouraged by the support of my provisions which address how relevant agencies can respond to cases of AHI so that injured personnel and their loved ones receive the care they need without delay, as well as my amendment aimed at punishing foreigners who are guilty of human rights violations against members of the LGBTQI community. Our policies must reflect our values, and that is precisely what this provision seeks to do.
Shaheen continued, “In addition to the priority issues in this legislation, I have raised the urgent need to fill the vacant position in the Office of Global Women’s Issues. Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta is eminently qualified for this role. It is shameful that partisan politics and lies are used to both smear his reputation and illegitimately delay his appointment. This position has been vacant for 1,693 of the last 2,065 days – this is unacceptable. It should be confirmed immediately, and more than that, committee members should support action to codify the Office of Global Women’s Issues to show how essential this office and its role are in breaking down the barriers between gender in the most vulnerable regions of the world. At-risk women and girls should not pay the price for Republicans to score political points. »
Shaheen’s AHI amendment would ensure that the appropriate national agency can designate national AHI incidents to improve inter-agency coordination in combating these attacks. Shaheen has a long history of working to ensure that American public servants and their loved ones with AHI receive the medical care they deserve.
Shaheen’s most recent work to advance measures that address AHI was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal year 2023 which was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee ( SASC) in June. Shaheen successfully secured $10 million to support the work of the cross-functional Abnormal Health Incidents team, as well as a $20 million increase to address the characterization and handling of threats from select uniformed members, Federal civilian employees and family members affected by AHI, who’ve faced stigma and negative experiences as a result of their ailments. The FY22 NDAA that was signed into law contained a Shaheen provision based on his stand-alone legislation to compel the president to designate a senior national security official – now occupied by Maher Bitar – to organize a whole-of-government response and lead the heads of the services concerned. agencies to appoint senior officials to lead their agency’s response to AHI. The FY2022 law also included a Shaheen-backed measure to ensure injured officers and their families have immediate access to Walter Reed’s specialist facilities.
Senator Shaheen has been a leader in supporting US officials who suffered brain damage likely from directed energy attacks. Last year, President Biden signed legislation Shaheen helped lead, the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA Act), into law. In the fiscal year 2021 NDAA that became law, Shaheen successfully included language to extend a provision of the law she had previously written to provide long-term emergency care benefits to all employees of the U.S. government and their dependents who were mysteriously injured while working in China and Cuba.
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