Latest news with #AssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsRegionalForum
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
State Department To Fire Over 1,300 Employees Under Trump Administration Plan
The State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan initiated by the Trump administration earlier this year. The department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters ahead of individual notices being emailed to affected employees. Foreign service officers affected will be placed immediately on administrative leave for 120 days, after which they will formally lose their jobs, according to an internal notice obtained by The Associated Press. For most affected civil servants, the separation period is 60 days, it said. "In connection with the departmental reorganization ... the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities," the notice says. "Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities." While lauded by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their Republican allies as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner, more nimble and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and its ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad. The Trump administration has pushed to reshape American diplomacy and worked aggressively to shrink the size of the federal government, including mass dismissals as part of moves to dismantle whole departments like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Education Department. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the layoffs to start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out. The department had formally advised staffers on Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon. The job cuts are large but considerably less than many had feared. Rubio said officials took "a very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused." "It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions," he told reporters Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he's attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum. "Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people." He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement. The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents diplomats, urged the State Department last month to hold off on job cuts. Notices for a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate positions altogether, "should be a last resort," association President Tom Yazdgerdi said. "Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts national interests at risk - and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences." Michael Rigas, the department's deputy secretary for management and resources, said in a notice Thursday that select staffers would be informed if they were being laid off and called it part of the department's biggest reorganization in decades. "Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force. First and foremost, we want to thank them for their dedication and service to the United States," he said. In late May, the State Department notified Congress of an updated reorganization plan, proposing cuts to programs beyond what had been revealed earlier by Rubio and an 18% reduction of staff in the U.S., even higher than the 15% initially floated in April. The restructuring has been driven in part by the need to find a new home for the remaining functions of USAID, which was an early target of the Trump administration and then-aide Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military. A letter that the department had sent to Congress noted that the reorganization will affect more than 300 bureaus and offices, saying it is eliminating divisions it describes as doing unclear or overlapping work. It says Rubio believes "effective modern diplomacy requires streamlining this bloated bureaucracy." That letter was clear that the reorganization also is intended to eliminate programs - particularly those related to refugees and immigration, as well as human rights and democracy promotion - that the Trump administration believes have become ideologically driven in a way that is incompatible with its priorities and policies.
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan initiated by the Trump administration earlier this year. The department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters ahead of individual notices being emailed to affected employees. Foreign service officers affected will be placed immediately on administrative leave for 120 days, after which they will formally lose their jobs, according to an internal notice obtained by The Associated Press. For most affected civil servants, the separation period is 60 days, it said. 'In connection with the departmental reorganization … the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,' the notice says. 'Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities.' While lauded by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their Republican allies as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner, more nimble and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and its ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad. The Trump administration has pushed to reshape American diplomacy and worked aggressively to shrink the size of the federal government, including mass dismissals as part of moves to dismantle whole departments like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Education Department. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the layoffs to start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out. The department had formally advised staffers on Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon. The job cuts are large but considerably less than many had feared. Rubio said officials took 'a very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused.' 'It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions,' he told reporters Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he's attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum. 'Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.' He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement. The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents diplomats, urged the State Department last month to hold off on job cuts. Notices for a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate positions altogether, 'should be a last resort,' association President Tom Yazdgerdi said. 'Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts national interests at risk — and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences.' Michael Rigas, the department's deputy secretary for management and resources, said in a notice Thursday that select staffers would be informed if they were being laid off and called it part of the department's biggest reorganization in decades. 'Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force. First and foremost, we want to thank them for their dedication and service to the United States,' he said. In late May, the State Department notified Congress of an updated reorganization plan, proposing cuts to programs beyond what had been revealed earlier by Rubio and an 18% reduction of staff in the U.S., even higher than the 15% initially floated in April. The restructuring has been driven in part by the need to find a new home for the remaining functions of USAID, which was an early target of the Trump administration and then-aide Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military. A letter that the department had sent to Congress noted that the reorganization will affect more than 300 bureaus and offices, saying it is eliminating divisions it describes as doing unclear or overlapping work. It says Rubio believes 'effective modern diplomacy requires streamlining this bloated bureaucracy.' That letter was clear that the reorganization also is intended to eliminate programs — particularly those related to refugees and immigration, as well as human rights and democracy promotion — that the Trump administration believes have become ideologically driven in a way that is incompatible with its priorities and policies.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan initiated by the Trump administration earlier this year. The department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters ahead of individual notices being emailed to affected employees. Foreign service officers affected will be placed immediately on administrative leave for 120 days, after which they will formally lose their jobs, according to an internal notice obtained by The Associated Press. For most affected civil servants, the separation period is 60 days, it said. 'In connection with the departmental reorganization … the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,' the notice says. 'Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities.' While lauded by President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their Republican allies as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner, more nimble and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and its ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad. The Trump administration has pushed to reshape American diplomacy and worked aggressively to shrink the size of the federal government, including mass dismissals as part of moves to dismantle whole departments like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Education Department. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the layoffs to start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out. The department had formally advised staffers on Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon. The job cuts are large but considerably less than many had feared. Rubio said officials took 'a very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused.' 'It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions,' he told reporters Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he's attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum. 'Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.' He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement. The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents diplomats, urged the State Department last month to hold off on job cuts. Notices for a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate positions altogether, 'should be a last resort,' association President Tom Yazdgerdi said. 'Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts national interests at risk — and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
State Department tells staffers that layoff notices are coming soon
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department formally advised staffers Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon, coming as part of dramatic changes to the agency that the Trump administration announced earlier this year. The workforce cuts and reorganization of the country's diplomatic corps are part of a wider administration effort to reduce the size of the federal government that has been largely carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly led by Elon Musk. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the layoffs to start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out. Critics say the scale of cuts floated at the State Department would lessen U.S. influence globally and make it hard for many offices to carry out their missions. Michael Rigas, the department's deputy secretary for management and resources, said in a statement that select staffers would be informed if they were being laid off and called it part of the department's biggest reorganization in decades. 'Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force. First and foremost, we want to thank them for their dedication and service to the United States,' he said. It wasn't immediately clear how many people would be dismissed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials took 'a very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused.' 'It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he's attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum. "Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.' He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement. In late May, the State Department notified Congress of an updated reorganization plan, proposing cuts to programs beyond what had been revealed earlier by Rubio as well as an 18% reduction of staff in the U.S., even higher than the 15% initially floated in April. Rigas' statement said the department is aiming to 'focus resources on policy priorities and eliminate redundant functions, empowering our people while increasing accountability.' The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military. It also intends to eliminate programs related to refugees and immigration, as well as human rights and democracy promotion. The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents diplomats, urged the State Department last month to hold off on job cuts. Notices for a reduction in force, which would not only lay off employees but eliminate positions altogether, 'should be a last resort,' association President Tom Yazdgerdi said. 'Disrupting the Foreign Service like this puts national interests at risk — and Americans everywhere will bear the consequences.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Rubio Says US and Russia Have Exchanged New Ideas for Ukraine Peace Talks
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia Thursday. 'I think it's a new and a different approach,' Rubio told reporters after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 'I wouldn't characterize it as something that guarantees a peace, but it's a concept that, you know, that I'll take back to the president.' He didn't elaborate. Rubio added that President Donald Trump has been 'disappointed and frustrated that there's not been more flexibility on the Russian side' to bring about an end to the conflict. 'We need to see a roadmap moving forward about how this conflict can conclude. And then we shared some ideas about what that might look like,' he said of the 50-minute meeting. 'We're going to continue to stay involved where we see opportunities to make a difference.' In a statement released shortly after Thursday's meeting, Russia's Foreign Ministry said that 'substantive and frank exchange of views' had taken place on issues including Ukraine, Iran, Syria, and other global problems. 'Both countries reaffirmed their mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts, restoring Russian-American economic and humanitarian cooperation, and unimpeded contact between the societies of the two countries, something which could be facilitated by resuming direct air traffic,' the statement said. 'The importance of further work to normalize bilateral diplomatic relations was also emphasized.' The two men held talks in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, which brings together 10 ASEAN members and their most important diplomatic partners including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, European nations and the U.S. The meeting was their second encounter since Rubio took office, although they have spoken by phone several times. Their first meeting took place in February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Trump administration sought to test Russia and Ukraine on their willingness to make peace. Thursday's meeting occurred shortly after the U.S. resumed some shipments of defensive weapons to Ukraine following a pause, ostensibly for the Pentagon to review domestic munitions stocks, that was cheered in Moscow. The resumption comes as Russia fires escalating air attacks on Ukraine and as Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. US diplomatic push could be overshadowed by tariff threats Rubio was also seeing other foreign ministers, including many whose countries face tariffs set to be imposed Aug. 1. 'These letters that are going out in these trade changes are happening with every country in the world,' Rubio told reporters. 'Anywhere in the world I would have traveled this week they got a letter.' Rubio sought to assuage concerns as he held group talks with ASEAN foreign ministers. 'The Indo Pacific, the region, remains a focal point of U.S. foreign policy,' he told them. 'When I hear in the news that perhaps the United States or the world might be distracted by events in other parts of the planet, I would say distraction is impossible, because it is our strong view and the reality that this century and the story of next 50 years will largely be written here in this region.' 'These are relationships and partnerships that we intend to continue to build on without seeking the approval or the permission of any other actor in the region of the world,' Rubio said in an apparent reference to China. Trump notified several countries on Monday and Wednesday that they will face higher tariffs if they don't make trade deals with the U.S. Among them are eight of ASEAN's 10 members. U.S. State Department officials said tariffs and trade won't be Rubio's focus during the meetings, which Trump's Republican administration hopes will prioritize maritime safety and security in the South China Sea, where China has become increasingly aggressive toward its small neighbors, as well as combating transnational crime. But Rubio may be hard-pressed to avoid the tariff issue that has vexed some of Washington's closest allies and partners in Asia, including Japan and South Korea and most members of ASEAN, which Trump says would face 25% tariffs if there is no deal. Rubio met earlier Thurday with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has warned global trade is being weaponized to coerce weaker nations. Anwar urged the bloc Wednesday to strengthen regional trade and reduce reliance on external powers. Rubio's 'talking points on the China threat will not resonate with officials whose industries are being battered by 30-40% tariffs,' said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific during the Obama administration. When Anwar said 'ASEAN will approach challenges 'as a united bloc' he wasn't talking about Chinese coercion but about U.S. tariffs,' Russel noted. Majority of ASEAN members face major tariff hikes Among ASEAN states, Trump has announced tariffs on almost all of the bloc's 10 members. Trump sent tariff letters to two more ASEAN members Wednesday: Brunei, whose imports would be taxed at 25%, and the Philippines at 20%. Others hit this week include Cambodia at 36%, Indonesia at 32%, Laos at 40%, Malaysia at 25%, Myanmar at 40% and Thailand at 36%. Vietnam recently agreed to a trade deal for a 20% tariffs on its imports, while Singapore still faces a 10% tariff that was imposed in April. The Trump administration has courted most Southeast Asian nations in a bid to blunt or at least temper China's push to dominate the region. In Kuala Lumpur, Rubio also will likely come face-to-face with China's foreign minister during his visit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is a veteran of such gatherings and 'fluent in ASEAN principles and conventions,' while Rubio 'is a rookie trying to sell an 'America First' message to a deeply skeptical audience,' Russel noted. Issues with China remain substantial, including trade, human rights, militarization of the South China Sea and China's support for Russia in Ukraine. U.S. officials continue to accuse China of resupplying and revamping Russia's military industrial sector, allowing it to produce additional weapons that can be used to attack Ukraine. Earlier on Thursday, Rubio signed a memorandum on civilian nuclear energy with Malaysia's foreign minister, which will pave the way for negotiations on a more formal nuclear cooperation deal, known as a 123 agreement after the section of U.S. law allowing such programs. Those agreements allow the U.S. government and U.S. companies to work with and invest in civilian energy nuclear programs in other countries under strict supervision.
