REP LIEU, RANKING MEMBER MEEKS AND REP WILSON INTRODUCE BILL TO EXPAND STATE DEPARTMENT SUBNATIONAL DIPLOMACY EFFORTS

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County), along with House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), introduced legislation to further strengthen the State Department’s Subnational Diplomacy Unit (SDU), which supports city and state-level international diplomacy. The Enhancing Subnational Diplomacy Act will enable the SDU to assist states in bidding to host international events, support local officials in finding staff with overseas experience and fund travel for local elected officials seeking to attend meetings and conferences with foreign officials. The bill will also grant the Secretary of State the authority to award grants to local government officials working on subnational diplomacy efforts and projects.  

“International diplomacy at the state and local level can be a great asset in helping the United States foster and strengthen relationships abroad," said Congressman Lieu. "Take, for example, the upcoming 2028 Olympics and Paralympics hosted by Los Angeles. Some of the events will also take place in Oklahoma City. This worldwide competition will showcase Los Angeles and Oklahoma City to a broad international audience. It will also be a significant subnational diplomatic effort to execute. Any way we can help cities and states navigate foreign relationships, we should. In doing so, we can create new channels for international collaboration that can create economic and cultural exchange opportunities for our communities.”

Congressman Lieu is a champion of subnational diplomacy and has authored bills to empower the State Department to support these efforts. In 2022, Congressman Lieu authored an article on the importance of subnational diplomacy for the Harvard Law School Journal on Legislation. Read Subnational Diplomacy: The Key to Strengthening U.S. International Relations.

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