A California Republican penned a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken with concerns the State Department held “therapy and listening sessions” for employees “devastated” by president-elect Donald Trump’s November victory.
These “therapy sessions” in question, however, were stress management webinars organized before the election, a State Department spokesperson told The Independent on Tuesday morning. Sessions like these have been offered to employees for over a decade.
Representative Darrell Issa penned the letter on November 19, citing The Free Beacon, a conservative media outlet that reported the State Department offered stress management webinars on November 8 and November 13 to employees following Trump’s victory.
At least one of the sessions was titled "Managing stress during change” and offered “tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being,” according to the Beacon.
"Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty," an email to employees advertising a webinar read, according to the Beacon. "Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times.”
The Beacon also reported that members of the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs held an informal meeting earlier this month, which one unnamed source with knowledge of the discussion said was a “cry session” over Trump’s victory.
Now, in his letter, Issa says he is concerned these reported sessions are “catering” to employees “personally devastated” by Trump’s win – even though the stress management webinars were scheduled and designed ahead of the election.
“As a Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I write to you regarding reports of official post-election State Department therapy and listening sessions,” Issa wrote, citing the Beacon’s article. “I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States.”
“It is disturbing that ostensibly nonpartisan government officials would suffer a personal meltdown over the results of a free and fair election, something the United States champions around the world,” Issa continued. “It is unacceptable that the Department accommodates this behavior and subsidizes it with taxpayer dollars.”
“The mental health of our foreign service personnel is important, but The Department has no obligation to indulge and promote the leftist political predilections of its employees and soothe their frayed nerves because of the good-faith votes of – and at the personal expense of – the American taxpayers.”
Issa requested a meeting no later than November 22 with the “appropriate officials” to learn more about the sessions, including their agenda, their cost and whether they were held overseas.
Issa’s spokesperson Jonathan Wilcox told The Independent on Monday night that The Free Beacon report is “very reliable.” Issa’s letter relies on “media reports and our own sourcing and contacts,” he added.
When asked to provide more information on Issa’s own sourcing, Wilcox responded, “The Free Beacon has this story cold.”
The State Department had not replied to Issa’s letter as of Monday evening, Wilcox said.
When asked to respond on Tuesday to the State Department’s confirmation that these sessions were developed before Election Day, Wilcox said that the “Biden-Harris administration burned through its credibility a long time ago.”
“That’s why our commitment to top-to-bottom reform has never been stronger,” he added.
