The Scoop
The State Department is bracing for widespread layoffs as soon as Friday, though one person familiar with the discussions told Semafor that the department would wait for a Supreme Court ruling on its reorganization plan.
A decision from the high court — which is weighing a lower-court judge’s decision to block planned layoffs and the broader reorganization — is expected imminently. In the meantime, multiple sources forecasted reduction in force notices this week that could number in the thousands, in line with the proposal Secretary of State Marco Rubio has submitted to Congress.
A spokeswoman for the American Foreign Service Association, which represents State’s foreign service officers, said the group remains concerned that layoffs might occur in advance of a court ruling giving them legal approval.
Even if the layoffs don’t land until the Supreme Court rules, the State Department has already started preparing. Earlier this month, civil service employees were asked to provide their resumes to “prepare for the reorganization,” Government Executive reported. And more recently, the State Department updated its Foreign Affairs Manual to aid in the reorganization.
“The FAM hasn’t been updated in decades and necessitates an update to allow the department to tailor its reductions and the ability for the secretary to implement the proposed changes,” a senior State Department official told RealClearPolitics on Tuesday.
The State Department has indicated it plans to cut roughly 3,400 employees, or 15% of staff domestically. The reorganization would also get rid of multiple offices, including some under the Civilian Security, Human Rights and Democracy division; other units are expected to be consolidated.
Know More
Multiple federal agencies trying to implement sweeping changes and reductions sought by the Trump administration have been in a holding pattern as legal challenges make their way through the courts.
President Donald Trump began his second term by formalizing the Department of Government Efficiency — then led by Elon Musk, who has since departed from the administration. In February, the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management sent a memo directing agencies to prepare for massive layoffs.
Rubio submitted the State Department’s reorganization plan to Congress in May, formalizing the Trump administration’s effective shuttering of USAID. Rubio said at the time that the reorganization “will result in a more agile Department.”
He received pushback from Democrats like Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, who expressed concern that deeper cuts would impact “an already strained and limited US diplomatic corps.”
Notable
- Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, is testifying in front of senators regarding DOGE cuts.