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One year ago, the State Department fired more than 1,300 employees in a single day. Around the same time, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled, cutting thousands more public servants.
Behind every badge was expertise. The consular officer who evacuated Americans from war zones. The investigator who stopped passport fraud before it reached our borders. The agricultural specialist who helped prevent dangerous pests from spreading. The diplomat who worked to squeeze Iran's oil revenues.
The Missing Badge is a press conference and outdoor exhibit that tells the stories of the expertise America lost and what those losses mean for our country's security, prosperity, and ability to respond to crises.
Event Details
Thursday, July 16, 2026
9:30 a.m. ET
House Triangle, Capitol Hill
Event Logistics
Open to the public. No RSVP required. Event will be held rain or shine.
Getting there: The House Triangle is on the southeast lawn of the Capitol, near the corner of Independence Avenue and 1st Street SE. Nearest Metro: Capitol South.
Why We Are Gathering
This event is about more than jobs. The United States spent decades building a public workforce with the language skills, regional expertise, technical knowledge, and crisis experience needed to protect Americans at home and abroad. Those investments cannot be replaced overnight.
One year later, we remember what was lost—and why rebuilding that expertise matters.
If you were separated from State or USAID in the past year, this event honors your service. We hope you'll join us.
About the Exhibit
On the House Triangle lawn, a series of banners tells the story of what America lost one year ago: the crisis experience that walked out the door, the relationships with foreign counterparts that took years to build and one day to sever.
Standing among the banners will be the people themselves—former State Department and USAID employees, each wearing a “badge” that once carried them through the doors of the institutions they served. Come meet them. Ask them about their work.
Organized By
- American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
- American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1534
Speakers
- Laid off public servants at the State Department & USAID
- AFSA President John Dinkelman
- AFGE President Everett Kelley
- Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA)
- Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)
- Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ)
- Others TBD
Spread the Word
Help us spread the word. Download and share the flyer.
Press
Members of the media planning to attend, please email gamer@afsa.org.