WASHINGTON -- The State Department notified Congress of an updated reorganization of the massive agency Thursday, proposing cuts to programs beyond those previously revealed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a steeper 18% reduction of staff in the U.S.
The planned changes, detailed in a notification letter obtained by The Associated Press, reflect the Trump administration's push to reshape American diplomacy and scale back the size of the federal government. The restructuring was driven in part by the need to find a new home for the remaining functions of the U.S. Agency for International Development, an agency Trump administration officials and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency dismantled.
The proposal includes an even higher reduction of domestic staff than the 15% initially floated in April. The department also plans to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked with the U.S. military. The letter to Congress notes the reorganization will affect more than 300 bureaus and offices.