State Department finally gets to trim the bureaucratic fat — and Rubio's going the distance

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Big changes are coming to the U.S. State Department that are sure to eclipse the significance of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's shuttering of the rebranded Global Engagement Center and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 11 directing agency heads to "promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force" with the ultimate aim of "eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity."

A gang of labor unions, leftist NGOs, and local governments sued to prevent the administration from executing mass layoffs at the department where 93% of all employee political contributions in the 2019-2020 election cycle went to Democratic Party candidates or political action committees.

A Clinton judge, evidently swayed by the liberals' claim that the "president does not possess authority to reorganize, downsize, or otherwise transform the agencies of the federal government, unless and until Congress authorizes such action," blocked Trump's order.

The case, Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees, went before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 8-1 in the administration's favor, pausing U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston's injunction.

Now, with the high court's blessing, the State Department is sending well over 1,300 employees packing.

Photo by Russian FM Press Service/Anadolu via Getty Images

In a letter to employees obtained by RealClearPolitics Thursday evening, Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, said that the department was "communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force" and that once notifications have taken place, "the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy."

'It's what all of us want.'

Rigas noted that the objective of the house-cleaning, announced by Rubio in April, was clear from the start: "Focus resources on policy priorities and eliminate redundant functions, empowering our people while increasing accountability."

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce echoed Rigas' suggestion, telling reporters Thursday, "This is about making sure that the State Department is able to operate in a manner that makes it relevant and effective. That is what the American people want. It's what all of us want. And in this dynamic, that’s exactly what we’re achieving."

Documents detailing the department's reorganization plan shared with Congress and obtained by Government Executive in May, indicated that pink slips would go to:

198 employees at the Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment division;
386 employees at the Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs division;
897 at the Management division;
112 at the Political Affairs division;
88 at the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs;
51 employees in Rubio's office; and
141 employees in the Arms Control and International Security division.

The documents indicated thousands more were leaving voluntarily.

The plans to Congress reportedly indicated that more than 300 of the department's 734 bureaus and offices would be axed, streamlined, or merged.

Blaze News has reached out to the State Department for comment.

White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Blaze News, "Under President Trump's leadership, all agencies are being streamlined to ensure more efficient services for the American people. Bloated operations often result in duplicative or even contradictory foreign policy. By reorganizing the Department of State, Secretary Rubio is ensuring that all actions align with the America First agenda that people voted for."

Simon Hankinson, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, suggested earlier this year that while "painful in places," the State Department's restructuring plan "seems achievable without blunting the effectiveness of American foreign policy."

'Leadership requires hard choices.'

When asked about the layoffs underway and whether the department will retain its effectiveness, Hankinson — who worked for State for over two decades — told Blaze News, "If reports of the scope of the RIF are accurate, I don't think they will undermine the State Department's core mission of carrying out U.S. foreign policy, providing citizen services and passports, issuing visas, and all the department does for Americans."

Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

"How this ends up depends on the tactics — the how, who, and where," said Hankinson. "If they make the right choices to cut offices whose work can be done elsewhere with no loss, but retain the staff with the highest performance, skills, and specialized knowledge, this will save money at no loss to efficiency. The worst result for the American taxpayer would be to see expensive RIFs followed a few years later by expensive new hires to perform vital functions."

The follow-through on these layoffs are a testament to the Trump administration's willingness to make tough decisions, suggested Hankinson, who noted that throughout his 23-year career as a foreign service officer at State, he "never once met an ambassador or senior official who wanted to shrink their staff; they only ever wanted more people and resources."

"Every study or report about State I've read in the last 10 years — with the exception of my own last year —recommends more staff and money, yet they never say where the money comes from," continued Hankinson. "They just say it's a 'priority.' But so is everything. Leadership requires hard choices. The last time we saw cuts to federal agencies on this scale was in the Clinton administration, and since then, the federal budget and entitlements have slowly grown."

Hankinson noted that with spiraling federal debt, "Every part of our government is going to have to be reduced, reorganized, and made more efficient, sooner or later."

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