Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 8/27/25… Yesterday, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, introduced the Safe Embassies Act. 

This bill strengthens transparency and oversight of U.S. embassy security decisions by requiring the State Department, when notifying Congress of its intent to open or reopen a high-risk, high-threat diplomatic post, to also provide a detailed explanation of the national security value of that decision.

“American diplomats serve on the frontlines of our foreign policy in some of the most dangerous environments in the world. It’s one of my responsibilities as a chairman to ensure that our foreign policy decisions are guided by careful planning and clear accountability when American lives are at stake,” said Chairman Lawler.

As Chairman of the MENA Subcommittee, which holds jurisdiction over both the State Department’s Bureau of Management and Bureau of Counterterrorism, Lawler is leveraging his role to advance reforms that support a more agile and effective foreign policy.

Each of these bills, including the Safe Embassies Act, has been submitted for consideration in the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s State Department reauthorization. 

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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Full text of the bill can be found HERE.