Latest news with #Rigas
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump installs new GSA acting administrator, sidelines DOGE leaders
President Donald Trump has appointed Mike Rigas as acting administrator of the General Services Administration, effectively layering DOGE-aligned Stephen Ehikian and Josh Gruenbaum atop the agency. Rigas, a Trump administration veteran who has served as deputy secretary of State for Management and Resources and as acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, announced the move in a message to GSA staff on Monday morning. 'Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I have assumed the responsibilities of Acting Administrator of GSA,' Rigas wrote. GSA staffers and people close to the Department of Government Efficiency view this appointment as a strategic move by the White House to rein in Ehikian, the former acting administrator, and Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service within GSA. They were chosen by DOGE's former operational lead, Steve Davis, to lead DOGE after Davis and Elon Musk left government, according to three people familiar with the internal workings of DOGE and GSA and granted anonymity to speak candidly. The change in leadership is a notable shift for GSA, one of two federal agencies that Musk came closest to controlling earlier this year. It's also the most significant public step that the White House has taken to diminish the role of Musk loyalists following the tech mogul's exit. "The GSA has been a pillar of this success, and the President has full confidence in their ongoing work to advance this transformative agenda,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement. Davis, who attempted to retain influence at GSA even after his departure from government, had a falling out with senior White House officials last month. Conversations about finding a new acting administrator started in mid-June when the White House found out about Davis' efforts, one of the people said. In a nod to DOGE's work, Rigas emphasized that the agency will continue to prioritize the mission of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. 'This means helping other agencies be as effective and efficient as possible in their acquisition of goods and services, their use of technology, and their use and disposal of real property,' he wrote. Monday marked the start of Rigas' third stint at GSA. Ehikian will remain at the agency as deputy administrator, according to the internal note. GSA has also made two new additional hires within the last two weeks, according to agency records: Doug Hoelscher of the America First Policy Institute and Kevin Hennecken, an investment analyst at BlackRock.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Department notifies employees of upcoming layoffs
The State Department has notified its employees of upcoming mass layoffs as part of a reorganization plan to form a 'more agile' department. Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of State for management and resources, said in an internal email Thursday that terminations to impacted workers will be sent 'soon,' adding that 'we want to thank them for their service to the United States.' 'Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering result-driven diplomacy,' Rigas wrote in an internal message that was reviewed by multiple outlets. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the reorganization plan for the department in April and delivered it to Congress in late May, saying it would result in a 'more agile Department, better equipped to promote America's interests and keep Americans safe across the world.' The effort will likely lead to hundreds of the department's workers losing their jobs. State Department officials have not mentioned when the first 'reduction in force' notices would go out, but some are reportedly expected to be sent out as early as Friday. When reached for comment, the State Department referred The Hill to the department's Thursday press briefing. 'This is not going to be an extended wait for people who are listening and watching in this building or fellow Americans at home and around the world. This will happen quickly,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters. Rigas's email comes two days after the Supreme Court lifted a district court order barring President Trump's administration from performing mass layoffs. It is unclear how many people will be laid off, but the department proposed cutting nearly 2,000 employees when delivering its organizational plan to Congress in May. Rubio, while speaking to reporters Thursday in Malaysia during an international meeting of foreign ministers, said the layoffs are a consequence of the reorganization effort, not of 'trying to get rid of people.' 'But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions. Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people,' added Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser. 'Some of them are unfilled positions for potential – or positions that someone took early retirement, and therefore are now – or about to be unfilled.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US State Department says planned layoffs to begin soon
The State Department will start sending notices to members of its workforce impacted by the reorganization soon, the agency's top official for management said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump 's administration moves ahead with its plans to overhaul the U.S. diplomatic corps and cut jobs. "Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force," Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas said in a statement. "Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy," Rigas said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Меките и удобни обувки улесняват ходенето ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo The move is the first step of a restructuring that Trump has sought to ensure U.S. foreign policy is aligned with his "America First" agenda. It will likely result in hundreds of job cuts including members of the elite foreign service who advocate for U.S. interests in the face of growing assertiveness from adversaries such as China and Russia. No State Department official publicly said when the first notices for the planned layoffs would be sent, but the widespread expectation is for the terminations to start as soon as Friday. Live Events The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to pursue the job cuts and the sweeping downsizing of numerous agencies, a decision that could lead to tens of thousands of layoffs while dramatically reshaping the federal bureaucracy. Trump in February issued an executive order directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revamp the foreign service to ensure that the Republican president's foreign policy is "faithfully" implemented. He has also repeatedly pledged to "clean out the deep state" by firing bureaucrats that he deems disloyal. Neither Rigas nor any other State Department official specified how many people would be fired but in its plans to Congress sent in May, the Department had proposed laying off nearly 1,900 employees of the 18,000 estimated domestic workforce. Another 1,575 were estimated to have taken deferred resignations. The plans to Congress did not specify how many of these people would be civil service and how many from the foreign service but said that more than 300 of the department's 734 bureaus and offices will be streamlined, merged or eliminated. 'TOO BUREAUCRATIC' Last week, more than 130 retired diplomats and other former senior U.S. officials issued an open letter criticizing the planned overhaul. One of the criticism has been directed at the firing of potentially several hundred U.S. foreign service officers who typically are evaluated based on years of experience, knowledge of particular areas and regions in the world and language skills. The administration, as it vowed to bring back "merit", has dismantled many diversity and inclusion efforts. Most if not all of the DEI programs at State Department have been rescinded. U.S. officials said the criteria for the layoffs have been based on the functions of the bureaus that the agency sees are redundant and overlapping in responsibilities and not based on the personnel that occupies those roles. "The focus is on the org chart first. Functions of a more efficient, capable, fast and effective State Department," said a senior State Department official speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity. "When something is too large to operate, too bureaucratic, to actually function, and to deliver projects, or action, it has to change," Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a news briefing earlier. As part of the reorganization, the role of a top official for civilian security, democracy, and human rights will be eliminated, along with the offices that monitored war crimes and conflicts around the world, according to the congressional notification the Department sent to Congress. A new Senate-confirmed role of under secretary for foreign assistance and humanitarian affairs will oversee the new Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which is to be reorganized to "ground the Department's values-based diplomacy in traditional Western conceptions of core freedoms" and headed by a deputy assistant secretary for "Democracy and Western Values."
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
State Department notifies employees of upcoming layoffs
The State Department has notified its employees of upcoming mass layoffs as part of a reorganization plan to form a 'more agile' department. Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, said in an internal email on Thursday that terminations to impacted workers will be sent 'soon,' and added that 'we want to thank them for their service to the United States.' 'Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering result-driven diplomacy,' Rigas said in an interview message that was reviewed by multiple outlets. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the reorganization plan for the department in April and delivered it to Congress in late May, saying it would result in a 'more agile Department, better equipped to promote America's interests and keep Americans safe across the world.' The effort will likely lead to hundreds of the department's workers losing their jobs. State Department officials have not mentioned when the first 'reduction in force' notices would go out, but some are reportedly expected to be sent out as early as Friday. When reached for comment, the State Department referred The Hill to the department's Thursday press briefing. 'This is not going to be an extended wait for people who are listening and watching in this building or fellow Americans at home and around the world. This will happen quickly,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters. Rigas's email comes two days after the Supreme Court lifted the district court's order barring President Trump's administration from performing mass layoffs. It is unclear how many people will be laid off, but the department proposed cutting nearly 2,000 employees when delivering its organizational plan to Congress in May. Rubio, while speaking to reporters Thursday in Malaysia after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said the RIFs are a consequence of the reorganization effort, not of 'trying to get rid of people.' 'But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions. Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people,' Rubio, who is also Trump's national security advisor, added. 'Some of them are unfilled positions for potential – or positions that someone took early retirement, and therefore are now – or about to be unfilled.'
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
US State Department workforce cuts to begin soon after Supreme Court ruling
WASHINGTON: The US State Department announced plans to proceed with workforce reductions after the Supreme Court lifted legal barriers to President Donald Trump's proposed layoffs. Deputy Secretary Michael Rigas stated the department would soon notify affected employees. Rigas explained the layoffs follow a review of workforce reduction plans submitted by various bureaus. 'The secretary approved thoughtful plans, including targeted domestic workforce cuts,' he said. Notifications will be sent via email in a single day, according to a senior official. The Supreme Court's decision this week removed a lower court's block on Trump's plan, which could impact tens of thousands of federal employees. While Rigas did not disclose exact figures, a senior official indicated the cuts align with earlier congressional notifications mentioning around 1,800 positions. The layoffs will only affect US-based personnel, with no immediate plans to reduce overseas staff. Last year, the State Department employed over 80,000 globally, including 17,700 domestically. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at restructuring in April, sharing an article suggesting a 15% staff reduction. Since returning to office, Trump has prioritized shrinking the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency, previously led by ex-advisor Elon Musk - AFP
