Rubio to torch 132 State Department offices in historic bloat-slashing overhaul



The Department of State revealed on Tuesday the Trump administration’s plans to slash the agency’s bloat.

Internal documents obtained by the Free Press revealed that the State Department will close 132 agency offices — a 17% reduction. The office terminations also reportedly involve eliminating 700 positions, including civil service and foreign service employees.

'In its current form, the department is bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.'

The news outlet reported that the offices earmarked for closure include those dedicated to advancing human rights, democracy overseas, and thwarting extremism and war crimes.

The State Departmen's new shake-up will consolidate 137 offices by transferring them to other parts of the agency.

The plans consider terminating the agency’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. Rachel Cauley, a White House budget office spokesperson, told the Free Press that “nobody is really sure what” the office does.

“When I ask them, they seem to not really be sure what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s an office that was created several years ago to look at Afghanistan [issues] and to avoid conflict areas. But we already have other offices within the department that do that,” Cauley said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly coordinating with the Department of Government Efficiency to restructure the federal agency.

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A senior State Department official told the Free Press that the agency’s undersecretaries have also been instructed to present plans to reduce their staff by 15%. While it is unclear how many staffers will be impacted by the directive, the outlet noted that six of the offices employ thousands of individuals.

A second senior State Department official told the news outlet that the cuts will not require Congress’ approval. The source claimed that by July 1, the U.S. Agency for International Development would “cease[] to exist.”

In addition to eliminating and consolidating hundreds of offices, the State Department is opening a post, the Bureau of Emerging Threats, dedicated to monitoring cyber threats, the second official told the Free Press.

“We’re trying to streamline the organization, to centralize functions that should be centralized, and to focus on the big things that support our America First diplomacy out in the field,” the official said.

Rubio told the Free Press, “In its current form, the department is bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.”

“That is why today I am announcing a comprehensive reorganization plan that will bring the department into the 21st century,” he added.

“This approach will empower the department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies,” Rubio continued. “Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality, redundant offices will be removed, and non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America’s core national interests will cease to exist.”

Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under President Donald Trump’s first administration, told the news outlet that he supports overhauling the agency.

“The State Department is desperately in need of significant reorganization, and there’s much efficiency that can be gained there,” Pompeo said.

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Trump Admin Axes Biden-Era Climate Office John Kerry Used To Assault Fossil Fuels

The State Department is formally removing the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, the office former president Joe Biden created and appointed John Kerry to lead as part of his aggressive agenda to combat global warming, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

The post Trump Admin Axes Biden-Era Climate Office John Kerry Used To Assault Fossil Fuels appeared first on .

Britain Convicts Woman For Inviting Consensual Conversation Outside An Abortion Facility

'I remain committed to fighting for free speech, not only for my own sake but for all my fellow citizens.'

EXCLUSIVE: State Department Divide Breaks Open Between Establishment, MAGA Loyalists Over USAID Cuts

EXCLUSIVE: State Department Divide Breaks Open Between Establishment, MAGA Loyalists Over USAID Cuts

1,300+ foreign students lose visas in Trump's sweep to end radical campus insanity: Report



President Donald Trump's administration appears to have amplified its efforts to crack down on radical college campus protests, revoking visas for more than 1,300 foreign students, according to an analysis from Inside Higher Ed.

The publication reported that as of Wednesday morning, it verified that 1,321 students have had their legal status changed by the Department of State.

'Visiting America is not an entitlement.'

A chart on the outlet's website showed a breakdown of how many foreign students at each university were affected.

According to the chart, the University of Texas System had the greatest number of impacted students. A Monday article from the Austin American-Statesman stated that 176 students within the school's system had their visas revoked.

Randa Safady, the UT System's vice chancellor of external relations, told the news outlet, "UT institutions learn of the revocation of student visas or immigration status changes by checking the Federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a federal tracking system for exchange visitors."

"As of Friday, April 11, the UT System learned that 176 students have been affected by the action," Safady added.

Northwest Missouri State University was listed second among those most affected, with 43 students losing their legal status. A local report from WDAF-TV found that five of the individuals were current students, and 38 were optional practical training students who had already graduated but remained in the U.S.

Dr. Lance Tatum, the university's president, stated, "Please know this situation continues to evolve and Northwest's International Involvement Center is working directly with the impacted students to offer guidance. However, these students also are being advised that they depart the U.S. immediately to avoid accruing unlawful presence."

Ashley Mowreader, the author of the Inside Higher Ed report, told the Daily Caller News Foundation, "It's very unclear what is driving these revocations."

"The government has provided little to no explanation," she said. "What we've heard from campus officials is that some of the students affected weren't involved in campus protests."

In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the agency had already pulled at least 300 student visas in response to Trump's January executive order vowing to combat anti-Semitism. The action pledged to cancel student visas and "deport Hamas sympathizers."

"To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: Come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before," Trump stated.

Last week, Rubio penned an op-ed for Fox News in which he said that "visiting America is not an entitlement."

"It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. And, as secretary of state, I will never forget that," he wrote.

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State Department considers closing nearly 30 embassies and consulates to slash federal deficit



President Donald Trump's Department of State is reportedly weighing closing nearly 30 embassies and consulates as part of its plan to massively reduce the agency's budget.

State Department memos obtained by the New York Post and several other outlets revealed that the agency outlined a strategy to slash its spending by $26 billion in the upcoming fiscal year. The latest draft budget proposal suggested cutting the agency's funds by nearly half compared to the previous fiscal year.

'The president has made it clear that he is committed to cutting the federal deficit and improving the return on investment for the American people.'

The agency would endeavor to achieve these savings by reducing diplomatic engagement work by $4.5 billion and terminating $21.5 billion in foreign assistance, the Post reported. The document weighed slashing funding to the United Nations and NATO.

Additionally, the memo floated closing at least 17 consulates and 10 embassies, including posts in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta, Maldives, Grenada, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

One center in Iraq was listed for potential closure, and two others may see expenditures "drastically" reduced.

The proposed downsizing also considered consolidating outposts in countries with multiple consulates, such as Japan and Canada.

A State Department spokesperson told the Post, "The president has made it clear that he is committed to cutting the federal deficit and improving the return on investment for the American people."

"As the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has said, the administration's funding decisions will be reflected in the President's Budget Request that will be provided to Congress soon," the spokesperson said.

The closures have not yet been announced, "and operations continue as normal," the representative added.

Tammy Bruce, a spokesperson for the department, suggested to CNN that reporting regarding the State Department memos was inaccurate.

"I would suggest that you check with the White House and the president of the U.S. as they continue to work on their budget plan and what they submit to Congress," Bruce told the news outlet. "The kinds of numbers and what we tend to see is reporting that is early or wrong, based on leaked documents from somewhere unknown."

During a Tuesday briefing, Bruce noted that there was "no final plan" on the yearly budget and any cost-cutting decisions would be "up to the White House."

"I can tell you that whatever you've seen in public was not released from this entity, was not released from this department. It was not released by the secretary," she said.

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Biden Limps Back Into the Spotlight. Plus, Harvard Lionizes Law Student Facing Criminal Case Over Assault of Israeli Classmate.

The prodigal great-grandfather returns: Democrats aren't particularly enthusiastic about Joe Biden's return to the national spotlight. The 82-year-old former president doesn't seem to care, with the man sometimes referred to as "Sleepy Joe" delivering his first major address since leaving the White House at a conference hosted by Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled. Yes, you read that right. But hey, somebody has to support Hunter!

The post Biden Limps Back Into the Spotlight. Plus, Harvard Lionizes Law Student Facing Criminal Case Over Assault of Israeli Classmate. appeared first on .