This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Baxter with Annie Fixler of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy following her testimony to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Europe, for the State Department. This is for reauthorization.

And Annie has specific recommendations. Did I know these things don't exist? No, that's why it's

very helpful to read in its list. The first thing you want is someone running the operation,

an assistant secretary. That does not now exist, Annie? Correct. So the office that we're referring to

is called the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

It was created about three years ago at this time, about two and a half years ago.

And at the time when Congress codified the Bureau, they put ambassador at large as the head of that office.

The ambassador at large has the rank of an assistant secretary, but is not

an assistant secretary. Some of that's just sort of bureaucratic nonsense in the State Department

as to how many assistant secretaries they have. But partially, having an assistant secretary

provides consistency and bureaucracy. It sort of demonstrates a commitment to the issue because an assistant secretary,

there are only a limited number of them.

So having an assistant secretary demonstrates this is an issue we are investing in.

This is a core priority for the state department.

Resource and staff the bureau.

That's first-rate idea.

Would they not?

Good heavens.

You need everything.

Sure. I mean, the Bureau is young. So it has staff. It has some staff. I would argue that it needs consistent staff and we need to invest in the staff because there is, some of them have unique skills.

We need professionals that understand geopolitics and diplomacy and cyber.

And so we need the right mix.

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