October 30, 2026
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) has suddenly discovered the importance of meritocracy at the State Department.
In an October 29 letter to the State Department's Inspector General, Meeks and Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) demand an investigation into allegations of political favoritism in Foreign Service hiring, promotions, and assignments. Their letter singles out the Ben Franklin Fellowship (BFF), suggesting that its members receive preferential treatment in the career Foreign Service.
That allegation deserves a firm rebuttal.
Membership in the Ben Franklin Fellowship carries no entitlement to promotion, preferred assignments, or advancement into the Senior Foreign Service. Anyone who thinks that is the way the 7th Floor works inside Foggy Bottom is naïve. BFF has no institutional role in State Department promotion panels or personnel selection. The suggestion that affiliation with BFF constitutes a privileged pathway through the career ranks is untrue and unsupported by the evidence presented in the congressmen's letter.
Indeed, BFF members have reason to be concerned about the opposite problem: whether their association with an organization committed to meritocracy, national interest foreign policy, and professional excellence exposes them to prejudice within a career bureaucracy where left-liberal ideological conformity has too often been rewarded.
BFF rejects political loyalty tests. FSOs and career civil servants must be judged on professional competence, performance, experience, and their ability to execute the lawful policies of the elected administration—not their political affiliations or personal voting histories.
But Congressman Meeks's sudden concern for merit principles raises an obvious question: Where was he when the Biden administration was institutionalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the State Department?
Where was his demand for rigorous oversight of hiring and promotion practices when DEI personnel policies were being promoted as institutional priorities? Did he insist that individual merit must always prevail over demographic considerations?
The Foreign Service Act's merit principles did not suddenly become important in January 2025. They were just as important under President Biden as they are under President Trump.
If Congressman Meeks genuinely wants to protect a nonpartisan, merit-based Foreign Service, he should welcome an impartial examination of personnel practices across administrations—including whether DEI policies compromised equal treatment.
Meritocracy cannot be a principle invoked only when the opposing party occupies the White House.
The Ben Franklin Fellowship stands for professional excellence, equal treatment, and a Foreign Service that serves the American people rather than any political faction. Congressman Meeks should be prepared to defend those same principles consistently.
