American cities and states are laboratories of innovation and democracy. In an increasingly globalized world, they also help redefine how we think about U.S. diplomacy.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed that local governments — city, state, county — are at the center of addressing complex global threats that ignore national borders. Our communities face other challenges, from terrorism to climate change, that require innovation and global collaboration. That collaboration that should begin at home.
U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu, Gregory Meeks and Joe Wilson and U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and John Cornyn introduced legislation to establish a permanent Office of City and State Diplomacy within the State Department. The office would create ties between the State Department and mayors and governors engaged internationally. Congress should pass the City and State Diplomacy Act to strengthen coordination among all levels of government on U.S. foreign policy priorities.
