Rubio unveils state department overhaul: 15% staff cut, 100+ bureaus slashed

UPDATED: Apr 23, 2025 07:04 IST

The Trump administration is pushing ahead with a massive restructuring of the US State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined a sweeping plan to cut domestic staff by 15% and shut down or consolidate over 100 bureaus worldwide. The move is the latest in a string of government reforms under the Trump White House’s “America First” doctrine.

“We cannot win the battle for the 21st century with bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources,” Rubio said in a department-wide email obtained by the Associated Press.

Hundreds of Offices to Be Closed or Merged

According to internal documents reviewed by AP, the plan calls for reducing the total number of State Department bureaus and offices from 734 to 602. Additionally, 137 offices will be relocated within the department to improve operational efficiency. The reorganization will also create a “reimagined” office for foreign and humanitarian affairs, intended to streamline remaining aid programs.

The overhaul is partially driven by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Development (USAID), whose functions are being absorbed into the State Department following work by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Key Programs Cut, Humanitarian Experts Warn of Fallout

Programs on the chopping block include the Office of Global Women’s Issues and diversity and inclusion efforts, which have been eliminated across the federal government under Trump. Offices focusing on human rights, justice, and crisis zone expertise will also be scaled back or folded into other divisions.

“This only creates more uncertainty about the United States’ ability to contribute to humanitarian conflicts,” said Daryl Grisgraber of Oxfam America. “It will only make the world a more unstable, unequal place for us all.”

While many feared immediate layoffs, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce clarified the move is not an abrupt purge:

“They’re not going to be walking out of the building. It’s not that kind of a dynamic. It is a roadmap. It’s a plan.”

Capitol Hill Reacts: GOP Cheers, Democrats Warn of Diminished Global Role

Republicans on Capitol Hill signaled cautious approval.

“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have proposed a vision to remake the State Department for this century and the fights that we face today,” said Sen. Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

However, Democrats sounded the alarm and warned that the plan undermines US global influence and diplomatic capability.

“This raises grave concerns that the United States will no longer have either the capacity or capability to exert US global leadership,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused Rubio of abandoning bipartisan priorities:

“The vital work left on Secretary Rubio’s cutting-room floor represents significant pillars of our foreign policy long supported by Democrats and Republicans alike.”

The State Department plan comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to slash funding and staffing across the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget has floated a proposal to cut nearly 50% of the State Department’s budget and eliminate funding for the United Nations and NATO headquarters — though that proposal remains in early stages and faces major hurdles in Congress.

(With inputs from Associated Press)

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