Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the closure of 132 State Department offices, the consolidation of 137 others, and the elimination of 700 positions.
• Undersecretaries have been directed to reduce their staff by 15%, with detailed plans expected within 30 days.
• The reorganization will fold the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor into a new Office of Foreign Assistance and Human Rights, increasing presidential oversight.
• Rubio criticized the department as overly bureaucratic, citing its rapid growth from 30,000 employees in 2000 to 80,000 today as inefficient and misaligned with core diplomatic goals.
• The final plan follows weeks of speculation and the dismissal of leaked drafts as inaccurate, with implementation now requiring congressional review.