In a bipartisan effort, Congresswoman Lois Frankel has joined Congressman Trey Radel on the Protecting Americans Abroad Act. Frankel is the lead Democrat on the bill that will help ensure Americans bravely serving our country abroad have the security protection they deserve.

“In the wake of Benghazi, there is no question that we must work to do a better job of protecting Americans serving in our Embassies overseas,” Frankel said. “Americans abroad deserve to be safe, have top-notch security and the State Department should have the tools and flexibility to hire the appropriate security staff who guard our United States Embassies.”

The Protecting Americans Abroad Act will authorize the State Department to use the “Best-Value Contracting” award in dangerous and hostile areas when necessary. That means the State Department “can consider factors beyond price in making the award, such as technical approach and past performance, when the perceived benefit merits the additional cost.”  This provision would apply to contracts for security at embassies and was requested specifically by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on which both Frankel and Radel serve.

“The staff that serve us abroad are often present and needed most in unstable and hostile regions where security is critical – that is why I introduced the Protecting Americans Abroad Act,” Congressman Trey Radel said. “The Protecting Americans Abroad act gives the State Department the necessary tools to keep Americans serving us overseas safe from harm and most importantly to ensure that what happened in Benghazi never happens again.”

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