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The State Department on Thursday told US-based employees that a recent Supreme Court decision would soon fire nearly 2,000 workers after allowing the Trump administration to proceed with massive job cuts as part of an effort to reduce the federal workforce.
The agency reorganization plan was first announced in April by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, eliminating functions and offices that the department is considered redundant. In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing Rubio to revamp his diplomacy so that his foreign policy is “faithfully” implemented.
Employees affected by the agency’s “power reduction” will be notified immediately, Michael Rigas told employees via email Thursday.
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The State Department has notified US-based employees that nearly 2,000 workers will be fired immediately. (Nathan Posner/Anadoll Agency via Getty Images)
“First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your dedication and service to the United States,” Rigas said in an email.
“Every effort has been made to support our departure colleagues, including those who participated in the postponed resignation program. On behalf of departmental leadership, we would like to thank the continued dedication to implementing this reorganization and moving forward with the national interests of the United States around the world,” he added.
The department did not specify how many people will be fired on Thursday, but plans sent to Congress in May proposed firing around 1,800 employees of the estimated domestic workforce of 18,000. Another 1,575 were estimated to have resigned.
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The reorganization plan was first announced in April by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Julien de Rosa/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The Congressional plan did not say how many of these workers are from civil servants or how many are from foreign services, but said that more than 300 of the department’s 734 offices and offices would be streamlined, merged or eliminated.
Once affected staff are notified, the department will “enter the final stages of the reorganization and focus their attention on providing outcome-driven diplomacy,” Rigas said in an email to his colleague.
The expectation is that the end will begin on Friday.
State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce told reporters early Thursday that the only reason the forced cuts were delayed was because court intervened, as he told the massive layoffs would soon occur.
The expectation is that the end will begin on Friday. (via Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg Getty Images)
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“There was a delay because of the court, not because of our interests,” Bruce noted. “It would have been difficult if you knew you had to accomplish something for the benefit of everyone.”
“If something is too big, too bureaucratic and actually works and isn’t bureaucratic to deliver projects or actions, that has to change,” she said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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