The negative effects have been compounded by the Trump administration’s elimination of more than 1,000 State Department jobs. This action is consistent with DOJ’s broader strategy to downsize the federal workforce. That historic cut consists of 1,107 civil service employees and 246 foreign service employees – an overall workforce reduction of 18%. The impending layoffs were first made public in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification sent to workers on Friday.
Earlier this year, the US State Department employed over 18,700 US-based staff. One alarming Supreme Court ruling provided the spark for the administration’s plan to dramatically reduce the agency’s workforce. This ruling cleared the way for the initiative to proceed. President Donald Trump had campaigned on a promise to reduce government spending, and these layoffs are a reflection of that commitment.
The State Department intends to meet its targeted workforce reduction through voluntary departures and via layoffs. More than 1,500 employees had already accepted voluntary buyouts earlier in the year. By March, more than eight in ten of the State Department’s programs had been shut down. The other two programs were legally incorporated into the department as of July 1.
In a related development, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) officially ceased operations earlier this month at the direction of the Trump administration. This proposal has alarmed federal employees and international affairs advocacy organizations alike about the long-term impacts on US diplomatic engagement around the globe.
Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee fumed about the dismissals. They decried the alleged “blanket and indiscriminate cuts.” They contended that these steps undermine the federal government’s capacity to provide services that the American people rely on and deserve.
Protests filled the streets surrounding the US State Department Headquarters. As such, demonstrators from all over the country gathered there, waving signs in solidarity with those diplomats impacted by the cuts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to social media to respond to the controversial layoffs. He went on to explain that the cuts were more than laying off employees. They were part of a larger, systemic process of restructuring.
“It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people,” said Secretary Rubio. “But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions. Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.” – Secretary of State Marco Rubio