State Department tells staffers that layoff notices are coming soon

WASHINGTON AP The State Department formally advised staffers Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to chosen of them soon coming as part of dramatic changes to the agency that the Trump administration informed 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 leadership that has been largely carried out by the Department of Establishment Efficiency formerly led by Elon Musk A modern 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 multiple offices to carry out their missions Michael Rigas the department s deputy secretary for management and information announced in a message 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 operation to the United States he stated It wasn t right away clear how several people would be dismissed Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned administrators 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 recounted reporters in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia where he s attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum Understand that selected of these are positions that are being eliminated not people He commented certain 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 reduction of staff in the U S even higher than the initially floated in April Rigas announcement commented the department is aiming to focus tools on approach priorities and eliminate redundant functions empowering our people while increasing accountability The State Department is planning to eliminate chosen 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 Function 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 revealed Disrupting the Foreign Function like this puts national interests at jeopardy and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences Source