THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2025 15 TALKING POINTS Rubio Reorg at State Secretary of State Marco Rubio has unveiled a sweeping reorganization of the State Department, pledging to cut domestic staff by 15 percent and shutter or consolidate more than 100 bureaus and offices worldwide. The announcement was made on April 22 via social media and detailed in documents released by the State Department. Framing the move as essential to President Trump’s “America First” policy, Rubio told employees in a departmentwide email that the State Department must shed “bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources.” Under the plan, which addresses domestic offices and not overseas posts or positions, 734 offices would be consolidated into 602, and 137 would relocate within the department to “increase efficiency,” according to a fact sheet circulated internally. Among the most notable changes: the closure of the Office of Global Women’s Issues, the elimination of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the disbanding of several bureaus under the former Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. Although some functions will be reassigned, the move reflects a broader rollback of the department’s traditional soft power tools, many of which had already been weakened following the dismantling of USAID and the U.S. Agency for Global Media earlier this year. In an April 27 interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubio insisted that it was about aligning operations with purpose, not simply cutting costs. “We haven’t slashed anything yet,” he said, explaining that bureau heads—many of whom are career Foreign Service officers—would be tasked with proposing staff reductions of 15 percent after internal assessments. defense spending and a 65 percent boost for homeland security, totaling $375 billion—largely for border security and deportation. OMB Director Russ Vought, a key figure behind Project 2025, frames the budget as a push to end wasteful spending and prioritize security and tax cuts. Together with the State Department reorganization, the budget signals a sweeping, security-centered shift in U.S. governance and global engagement. Untenured FSO Appointed to Lead Global Talent Bureau The appointment of an untenured Foreign Service officer to temporarily lead the State Department’s Bureau of Global Talent Management (GTM) triggered a wave of concern and condemnation from current and former U.S. diplomats. Lew Olowski, who joined the Foreign Service in 2021 and has completed just one overseas tour, was named senior bureau official (SBO), effectively making him the acting Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA criticized the decision, noting that the role has traditionally been reserved for senior or retired career officers with decades of experience. “Placing an untenured, entry-level officer who has only served one complete overseas tour into this critical role, even in an acting capacity, not only disregards The reorganization aims to prioritize regional bureaus over functional bureaus. It comes as Secretary Rubio assumed a dual role as both Secretary of State and interim National Security Adviser, following President Trump’s nomination of Mike Waltz to the United Nations. White House officials say Rubio is expected to serve in both roles for at least six months, and there are discussions about making the arrangement permanent. Rubio is also serving as acting Administrator for USAID and acting archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration. Related, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal on May 2, which would reduce non-defense discretionary spending by 23 percent, the sharpest drop since 2017, and cut $163 billion from federal agencies. The State Department and USAID would be among the hardest hit. The budget proposes a $50 billion cut to State Department funding and calls for the absorption of USAID into the department. These cuts come alongside administrative moves already underway through the new Department of Government Efficiency, which is coordinating with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to codify the reductions through a pending rescission package. The Trump administration’s budget proposes a 13 percent increase in Voice of America showed me the kind of life that was possible if you were free to express yourself, use your mind and imagination, your talents and skills, and pursue your dreams. —Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, in a declaration to a U.S. federal court in support of one of the lawsuits against Kari Lake and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, April 11, 2025. Contemporary Quote
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