Republicans in the U.S. House are raising concerns about taxpayer-funded “cry sessions” reportedly held at the State Department to support staff experiencing emotional distress following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) sought clarification regarding “disturbing” reports of daytime therapy sessions allegedly funded by taxpayers and disrupting employees’ work. According to sources within the State Department, these meetings, described as “cry sessions,” have drawn scrutiny, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“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,” Issa wrote in a letter this week, per the outlet.
His communique came in response to a department-wide email titled “managing stress during change” which was sent out less than a week after Trump’s victory. “Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty,” read the email. “Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well-being.”
The Employee Consultation Services within the Bureau of Medical Services hosted at least two “cry sessions” over the course of three days. A source told the Washington Free Beacon that the gatherings resembled the coping mechanisms often associated with the extremes of ultra-liberal academic culture. Issa wrote: “Federal employees should not come to work if they are having a personal meltdown over the result of a free and fair election. The mere fact that the Department is hosting these sessions raises significant questions about the willingness of its personnel to implement the lawful policy priorities that the American people elected President Trump to pursue and implement.”
The letter from Issa, which was first obtained by Fox News, added: “The Trump Administration has a mandate for wholesale change in the foreign policy arena, and if foreign service officers cannot follow through on the American people’s preferences, they should resign and seek a political appointment in the next Democrat administration.”
During an interview on “Fox News Sunday” over the weekend, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) stated that Democrats harmed their chances in the recent election because they were “lost” on key issues. He made these comments while reflecting on his party’s losses this month.
“Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” he said. “And I’ve been on this network, you know, months, months ago saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.’” He stated that his party made a significant error by asking people not to believe the evidence of the hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens entering the U.S. each month.
“I’ve tried to describe – you have up to 300,000 encounters per month,” he said. “And I put that in perspective with Pennsylvania. I’m like, that’s the size of Pittsburgh showing up in one month. It’s like, what’s going to happen for those folks? If we want them [to have] the American Dream for those people, how can we possibly deliver that? Where do they go? And we can’t pretend that that’s not a significant issue. And we got to address that.”
He also suggested that Democrats have lost their focus when it comes to supporting Israel, the most pro-American ally, historically, in the Middle East. “I said I was going to follow Israel,” he said. “And since they refused to have that cease-fire, they have eliminated and broken Hamas, and Hezbollah, Hezbollah was supposed to be like the ultimate bada**es in the Middle East, and now they were a bunch of Keystone Cops, and Iran has just been exposed, as you know, they really can’t fight about anything. So that’s been a significant development here.”
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