The State Department Goes to Hill

 

Capitol Hill, that is...yes, it's a pretty obvious joke.

The system of making  various government bureaucracies work together - coyly known as 'the inter-agency process' -  is rarely more contentious than between any Executive branch department and Congress. At least with Defense or Justice we get the impression that they WANT to work together, even if they have a completely different perspective and way of doing things.

Not so Congress. The State Department is a relatively small agency with no local constituency and a reputation for being a bunch of snooty intellectuals and hippies. This makes us an easier target for anything and everything that might go wrong in foreign policy - much better than the military. We don't wear uniforms and we don't usually put ourselves directly in harm's way (though it happens more than you might think).

On top of this, all embassies are charged with running CODELS - Congressional Delegations. Any high-level visit is a logistical pain in the neck, but CODELS are notorious for being junkets in disguise.

In return, Congress is aware of how they are seen and are incredibly defensive and touchy about this (as they are about everything). I have not run any CODELS myself. I can hardly wait.