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More than 1,300 employees at the U.S. Department of State were laid off this week, as part of a restructuring plan championed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The dismissals prompted emotional scenes in Washington as departing staff received farewells from colleagues.
On their final day, staff exited the State Department headquarters carrying personal belongings, met with applause and embraces from colleagues gathered in the lobby and at the main entrance.
Deputy Secretary of State Michael J. Rigas had informed employees via email a day earlier that layoffs would begin.
The dismissals are seen as part of Rubio’s effort to “streamline” the department. In May, he described the agency as “bloated” and overwhelmed by bureaucracy.
He said reforms were necessary to align the department more closely with “core American values” and to remove what he described as “centers of radical political ideology.”
Olga Bashbush, one of the departing employees, showed reporters her 20-year service pin and said: “We are here to defend the U.S. Constitution and American values. We’ve done that, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. I serve the Constitution, and it is a tragedy to be let go like this.”
Another employee, who asked to remain anonymous and was one month shy of her 15th anniversary, said: “Today is a heartbreaking day for many public servants at the Department of State. We’ve put our hearts into this work. What’s happening now is devastating.”
According to an internal memo leaked to U.S. media, the layoffs include 1,107 civil servants and 246 diplomats, totaling 1,353 personnel.
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