The State Department notified its staff Thursday that it is beginning its wide-spread layoffs, according to a notification obtained by the Daily Caller.
The Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with his executive order directing agencies to prepare “large-scale reductions” in the workforce in a ruling Tuesday. The State Department began prepping in April for a reorganization that would close 132 offices, representing a 17% reduction, a senior official shared with the Caller at the time. Deputy Secretary of Management and Resources Michael Rigas notified officials on Thursday that the “Reduction in Force” would soon be underway, according to a document obtained by the Caller.
“Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy,” Rigas wrote.
The mass firings were to be underway as soon as Friday, Semafor first reported
As a part of the reorganization, redundant offices within the State Department will be removed including those that did not “align with President Trump’s priorities and [the dept’s] national interests,” a senior State Department official previously told the Caller.
In the transition, 137 offices will be put in another location within the Department “to consolidate/increase efficiency,” the official told the Caller.
In the weeks to come, Under Secretaries will communicate with their “family organizations” and host “town halls,” the memo writes.
“On behalf of Department Leadership, we extend our gratitude for your hard work and commitment to executing this reorganization and for your ongoing dedication to advancing U.S. national interests across the world,” Rigas wrote.
“Secretary Rubio, at the direction of President Trump, has undertaken a historic reorganization of the State Department, which was thoughtfully and deliberately executed by department leadership. The America First State Department will better serve the American people,” a senior State department official told the Caller about Thursday’s announcement.
In a similar move, the State Department ended a program that for decades has given benefits and funds to low-performing diplomats rather than phasing them out of the department, according to a memo previously obtained by the Caller on July 2. Under the Annuity Exception, Foreign Service members were able to remain on the State Department payroll beyond their scheduled departure from the administration, the internal memo explained.
