Overview

• The Department’s notice to Congress details the planned elimination or consolidation of over 300 domestic offices.
• The reorganization will cut up to 3,400 positions, representing roughly 15 to 20 percent of domestic staff.
• The overhaul, the largest restructuring since the Cold War, aims to reduce bureaucracy and empower regional bureaus and embassies.
• Nine new specialized offices will be created, including a deputy assistant secretary for democracy and Western values, immigration security units and a bureau for emerging threats.
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen and other lawmakers warn the changes must be weighed against potential risks to U.S. diplomatic capacity and human rights programming.