T bureau boasts successes, but still feeling the bite of reprogramming

Witnesses on behalf of the Department of States’ “T bureau” were scrutinized by Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) on the efficiency of the bureau’s operations. Chairman Akaka, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, is dedicated to protecting the United States from terrorist attacks.

Linda Taglialatela, deputy assistant secretary for Human Resources at the State Department, and Patricia McNerney, senior advisor to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, explained how the State Department organized the Arms Control, Counterproliferation, and Nonproliferation bureau (T bureau) in recent years. It was the second of three meetings designed to “explore the effectiveness and efficiency of government management in various aspects of national security”, Akaka said.

According to Taglialatela, in 2005 when the Bureau of Arms Control and Bureau of Nonproliferation were merged, no employees lost salary or were displaced. She explained that some people left because they did not like the position or retired. In 2005 the attrition rate of the T bureau was 12 percent, since that time it has dropped to eight, McNerney said. McNerney also noted that the bureau created the Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and combined it with the Terrorism office to create a “global initiative” to combat terrorism with over 70 governments participating.

Taglialatella admitted that the bureau could use more transparency with its departmental consolidation. As far as funding concerned, the State Department has not received any new resources since 2004. Resources have been used to fund the campaign in Iraq and anti-terrorism in Pakistan. Taglialatella said that because of this, the bureau was taxed for reprogramming to compensate for the lack of resources.