The Trump administration is reorganizing the US State Department to eliminate offices it considers redundant and cut programs that do not align with US interests, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.
“This approach will empower the Department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies,” Rubio said in a statement, describing the moves as part of President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
“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,” Rubio added.
Work that fell under the US Secretary for Civilian Security, Human Rights, and Democracy will now be managed by a newly created position: the Coordinator for Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs, he said.
Rubio, who now also serves as the administrator of the recently restructured USAID, criticized the department’s growth over the years, calling it “bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.”
Trump reshapes US Foreign Service
This broad reorganization follows a February order by Trump to revamp the US Foreign Service—the country’s diplomatic corps—to ensure it follows his foreign policy agenda.
US officials also confirmed in March that the department is preparing to shut down nearly a dozen consulates.
Rubio’s announcement did not specify whether any consulates would be closed.