Overview

• Marco Rubio's reforms include cutting 132 State Department bureaus, reducing domestic staff by 15%, and merging USAID functions into core diplomatic operations.
• Republicans support the measures as a necessary streamlining of a department whose budget grew from $9.5 billion in 2000 to $55 billion in 2024.
• Democrats and human rights advocates argue the cuts undermine U.S. commitments to democracy, women's rights, and religious freedom abroad.
• Congressional hearings highlighted concerns over ceding influence to adversaries like China, which is increasing its diplomatic spending to fill gaps left by U.S. retrenchment.
• Lawmakers from both parties stressed the need for a State Department authorization bill, the first since 2002, to reassert Congressional oversight over U.S. foreign policy.