Senate Democrats press Rubio on State Department layoffs: 'A tool of last resort'

Senate Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee are demanding answers within one week from Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of State Department employees, raising alarm that arbitrary layoffs are expelling critical expertise and talent. 

The panel's Democrats sent a letter to Rubio on Friday, as the State Department began issuing notices that a reduction in force (RIF) would be carried out, impacting around 1,100 civil service employees and 250 foreign service officers.

“RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented must be conducted according to long-standing procedures that prioritize transparency and a merit-based process for both career civil service employees and Foreign Service Officers (FSOs),” the lawmakers wrote. 

“During a time of increasingly complex and wide-spread challenges to U.S. national security, this administration should be strengthening our diplomatic corps – an irreplaceable instrument of U.S. power and leadership – not weakening it.”

The letter was led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Also signing it are Democratic Sens. Chris Coons (Del.), Chis Murphy (Conn.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Jacky Rosen (Nev.).

The letter was also sent to Russell Vought, the White House’s director of the Office of Management and Budget. The lawmakers asked for responses by July 18. 

In the letter, the senators point out concerns that FSOs and civil service employees are being laid off by virtue of working in bureaus or offices that are being eliminated, and not taking into consideration that staff rotate positions at the State Department, transferring their experience and expertise to different areas. 

Among the list of 18 questions included demands for explaining the rationale behind the layoffs and plans for the future. 

“It can take years of training for an FSO or civil servant to master diplomatic and negotiation skills, including obtaining fluency in critical languages. Why are skilled officers, including those with specialized language skills not being reassigned? How will the Department fill these specialized skill and experience gaps?” the lawmakers asked.

“How many vacant FSO positions will there be worldwide after RIFs are processed? How does the Department plan to fill mission critical posts?” they continued.

“If reducing waste, fraud, and abuse is the goal of the reorganization, why is the Department not efficiently allowing these experienced civil service employees to laterally move into vacant positions they were chosen for based on merit?” they pressed. 

Rubio, a former Republican senator for Florida, served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 16 years before joining the Trump administration. Schatz, during a Foreign Relations hearing in May, pressed Rubio on his agency’s failure to respond to congressional inquiries. 

“My staff has sent 200 unanswered questions … consultation is not a courtesy, it is required by law … radio silence other than, you’re very responsive,” Schatz said, criticizing the agency as failing to engage with his staff. 

This story was updated at 4:36 p.m.