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State Dept. Tells Staffers of Layoffs 07/11 06:07
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The State Department formally advised staffers Thursday
that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon, coming as part of
dramatic changes to the agency that the Trump administration announced earlier
this year.
The workforce cuts and reorganization of the country's diplomatic corps are
part of a wider administration effort to reduce the size of the federal
government that has been largely carried out by the Department of Government
Efficiency, formerly led by Elon Musk.
A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the layoffs to
start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play
out. Critics say the scale of cuts floated at the State Department would lessen
U.S. influence globally and make it hard for many offices to carry out their
missions.
Michael Rigas, the department's deputy secretary for management and
resources, said in a statement that select staffers would be informed if they
were being laid off and called it part of the department's biggest
reorganization in decades.
"Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the
reduction in force. First and foremost, we want to thank them for their
dedication and service to the United States," he said.
It wasn't immediately clear how many people would be dismissed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials took "a very deliberate step
to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused."
"It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the
bureau, you don't need those positions," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, where he's attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian
Nations Regional Forum. "Understand that some of these are positions that are
being eliminated, not people."
He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about
to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement.
In late May, the State Department notified Congress of an updated
reorganization plan, proposing cuts to programs beyond what had been revealed
earlier by Rubio as well as an 18% reduction of staff in the U.S., even higher
than the 15% initially floated in April.
Rigas' statement said the department is aiming to "focus resources on policy
priorities and eliminate redundant functions, empowering our people while
increasing accountability."
The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with
oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an
office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S.
military. It also intends to eliminate programs related to refugees and
immigration, as well as human rights and democracy promotion.
The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents
diplomats, urged the State Department last month to hold off on job cuts.
Notices for a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but
eliminate positions altogether, "should be a last resort," association
President Tom Yazdgerdi said. "Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts
national interests at risk -- and Americans everywhere will bear the
consequences."
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