[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6156341,"mediaKeyId","5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac","parentId",5470982,"title","Lawmakers press State Department on Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian aid and alleged settler attacks","audioSeconds",202,"startMs",421000,"endMs",623000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac&start=421&end=623","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac/thumbnail_421000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6156341/Lawmakers-press-State-Department-on-Gaza-ceasefire-humanitarian-aid-and-alleged-settler-attacks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156341-cc0d99c07341b2c374ed6e873b867bcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770649042&Signature=os-W2r7Y1-HtMulJf8-jIgU~PqNTXYU-WCa8EZO-dM3GGKimmVG0EwprHZY7Oew-KHhyigxFEAYSOG856HKJuziyc1ULP5yuson6A6vUpNCPRmJmku9ST2PWgGnwcVTwOzMz3ZRnz7kjAml8DpmdlTM0QlWS0bizFi8I~V~X4h8~D31xOfhMfC4OkKrnLjkWPD3SYrVeHPS6pUBbCWSklV9E4JPDOqUAr5bQy6mMGf0Lapb1lwdBfs5mzmYzjRVpMGl6SoYu5HnYsdLGYc9H33HxGhIy9Dz8LxDGBTsFraJRf5LhVk3WXEIQ-1MClyTujoMDF~IN9lKQz95h5fXGgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs","date","2025-07-25T07:21:52.973Z","article","Representative Joaquin Castro said during the hearing that \"what's happening in Gaza is a horror of mass starvation, mass murder, and even a plan for ethnic cleansing that Americans are helping to pay for,\" and asked what the administration's plan is to stop the violence.

The under secretary responded that the administration is focused on achieving a ceasefire and delivering humanitarian assistance, noting that \"this situation started on October 7 when Hamas invaded Israel and killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians\" and that Hamas could end the conflict by putting down its arms and returning hostages. The under secretary also said press reports indicated special envoy Whitkoff was traveling to the region to work on finalizing a corridor and reach a ceasefire.

Representative Castro also asked whether the United States would pursue an independent investigation into reported attacks on Palestinian civilians and on religious sites by Israeli settlers in the West Bank; the under secretary said he did not have an immediate answer and reiterated that the administration was focused on ceasefire efforts and humanitarian access. The under secretary said he understood the IDF was investigating incidents but did not commit to a U.S.-led independent investigation during the hearing.

Members said they expected more information about how the United States is balancing support for Israel and prioritizing civilian protection and humanitarian assistance in Gaza; the under secretary offered to provide further updates and noted the special envoy's travel as part of those efforts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","FY26 State Department Posture: Bureau of Political Affairs","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Joaquin Castro said during the hearing that \"what's happening in Gaza is a horror of mass starvation, mass murder, and even a plan for ethnic cleansing that Americans are helping to pay for,\" and asked what the administration's plan is to stop the violence.","taxTitle","Foreign Affairs: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1826,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6156346,"Committee questions State Department strategy after Office of Haitian Affairs was eliminated",177,1093000,1270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac&start=1093&end=1270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac/thumbnail_1093000.jpg","/articles/6156346/Committee-questions-State-Department-strategy-after-Office-of-Haitian-Affairs-was-eliminated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156346-81b9f06dff77cda551ab4a3d3a774ddc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770649042&Signature=Stch-~TsFzLHAlR7TqgC8e40HPCIzwuCnEWa2YLFlJUqLOWCLAcU34ufFwjS9bh33lZOP3WmCLNC8J~wFtPUvRm5iIIaXVKq7L2mYsLCXDmrxwmeFZgBbW~Z19-QGfIX35U0o0ZRovr6S3wfYPQOTQoXr5QJs~q~~r4rCKLYqQtLPltZjyeMGc5M58b7UttQBO9Fp~S0afAB6Up-l7p5-h~ZpBQqkk49ygrWnYpxLx7KfG8YoP8TlAzWsWSkx5WXOOMAO~qh408hBrFpYSTio9rvipUCeRo8o7Lhca6wSxQTZghukknZrB0NZJ5OQEGo8jXXqgSKP29KIOJlwrJPog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Foreign Affairs Committee members pressed the State Department about the elimination of the Office of Haitian Affairs and asked how the department will maintain focused attention on Haiti’s ongoing crisis.

A committee member said that closing the dedicated Haiti office amid rising violence, arms flows and drug trafficking in the region appeared contrary to the need for intensive engagement. The member asked whether personnel with Haiti expertise would remain assigned to the issue and whether the same attention and mitigation procedures would be maintained given the office’s proximity and impact on South Florida.

The under secretary said the functions of the Office of Haitian Affairs were absorbed into the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and that the department had assigned Ambassador Henry Wooster to oversee Haiti-related efforts and to coordinate a whole-of-government approach. “It has the same attention for sure. The functions of the Office of Haiti Affairs have been absorbed into the full bureau and these functions are continuing,” the under secretary said.

Committee members pressed the witness on whether closing the office reduced dedicated personnel or expertise; the under secretary said the bureau remains responsible for Haiti and that Ambassador Wooster has been assigned to evaluate and coordinate the response. The under secretary said the department had been working on Haiti issues while the assignment and analysis took place.

Lawmakers said they would seek additional detail about staffing changes, mitigation procedures, and how the department will ensure continuity of expertise and operations in the field.","Members asked why the Office of Haitian Affairs was closed and how the department plans to maintain focus on Haiti’s crisis after absorbing functions into the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; the under secretary said Ambassador Henry Wooster was assigned to lead a whole-of-government review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6156350,"House Foreign Affairs members press State Department on reorganization, layoffs and loss of China expertise",2310,59000,2369000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac&start=59&end=2369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5470982-db66e5df0053bd19bfbbb57d401673ac/thumbnail_59000.jpg","/articles/6156350/House-Foreign-Affairs-members-press-State-Department-on-reorganization-layoffs-and-loss-of-China-expertise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6156350-0bf7d25b4b9dd71c4b4c31c0ef7ca7ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770649042&Signature=DBDgVbTBE~Zt280zBak4fe~Ui9ikouySinAurD0DVl5vg26gG~viA8bXcUi-Kl9p5owmCs-kAvLeL9tPBmfCHcFYPCUhWsGpZ4hQRaKCRIPxGjhQ8OJwCD3MgP3NxAvjUYKfrZlvI60PxsnyIRfWrGOZQj9O8x5JpRsUsLgKDTf~a0675ErZ7s8OqWtDIFBEADCr6G-RdKlo82bLP3yoDiUMfNBe~-MZa-roB39gXJv~ohoto2wxTZ~2XOhqGWqO-Us1xNa7nFuEUHwvQZH1x5KMnhswwgsDhmVedaegagsAYHG-ytVF5RfG1aiqZNCvR9QFy0UdJDbRhWFXsbK5ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, lawmakers pressed the State Department’s under secretary about the administration’s reorganization that eliminated offices and affected nearly 1,300 employees, asking whether the changes will hinder U.S. diplomacy and language capabilities critical to countering China.

Committee members said the cuts and office closures risked removing subject-matter experts and undermining the United States’ ability to engage in Asia. “We cannot say that we are serious about competing with China when our restructuring means cutting 1,300 employees and rescinding almost 9,000,000,000 in spending on foreign affairs,” Representative Stanton said during his questioning.

The under secretary defended the changes as deliberate and intended to remove redundancies. “It was methodical. It was considered. It was conducted by engaging senior leadership, at the undersecretary level that is in both career and political. . . more than 650 comments went into the consideration,” the under secretary said, adding the eliminated offices’ functions have been integrated into remaining bureaus.

Lawmakers pressed for specifics about language and regional capacity. Several members asked how many Mandarin speakers were affected and how long it takes to replace language-trained staff; the under secretary said the department still maintains Mandarin capability but did not provide counts or replacement timelines and offered to follow up with written answers.

Members also pointed to personnel and budget figures cited in the hearing. A lawmaker said the State Department employs about 75,000 people, including roughly 13,000 foreign service officers and 11,000 civil service staff, and that salaries and benefits total more than $16 billion annually; the under secretary did not dispute that characterization during the hearing but emphasized that the reorganization seeks more efficient use of resources.

Republicans and Democrats on the committee expressed different emphases: some argued the changes were necessary to align the department with the administration’s priorities and to eliminate inefficiencies; others warned the cuts had been rapid, risked losing institutional knowledge and could create openings that geopolitical competitors would exploit. The under secretary agreed to provide additional information requested by members, including staffing and language-training details.

The session closed with the under secretary reiterating a commitment to work with the committee to provide requested data and to explain how functions continue after office eliminations.","At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, members questioned the State Department’s recent reorganization and a reduction in force that affected nearly 1,300 employees, raising concerns about lost institutional expertise, Mandarin-language capacity and U.S. ability to compete with China.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers press State Department on Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian aid and alleged settler attacks

Committee questions State Department strategy after Office of Haitian Affairs was eliminated

House Foreign Affairs members press State Department on reorganization, layoffs and loss of China expertise