A coalition of Democratic senators introduced legislation Tuesday to combat reductions-in-force within the State Department as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“This legislation is crucial to protecting America’s ability to respond to global threats,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a sponsor of the bill.
The legislation specifically targets an agency’s ability to conduct a reduction-in-force, where it can lay off large numbers of employees for budgetary reasons. Large-scale RIFs across the federal government marked the early days of the Trump administration, prompting a flurry of legal action against the government.
The Senate legislation specifically targets RIFs against employees at the State Department and the now-shuttered U.S. Agency for International Development.
“The Trump administration is systematically dismantling our diplomatic institutions and weakening the workforce we depend on to advance U.S. interests, respond to crises, and out-compete adversaries like the People’s Republic of China,” Shaheen said.
Rubio criticized USAID for its practices in distributing assistance across the globe.
“The era of government-sanctioned inefficiency is OVER,” Rubio wrote in a social media post. “From now on, our foreign assistance programs will be accountable to the American taxpayer.”
The state department secretary said USAID’s assistance functions will be absorbed by his agency.
The bill contains four provisions that would limit the timeline and effectiveness of RIFs within the State Department.
First, the bill requires an agency to report RIFs involving more than 50 people to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee 20 days in advance of the planned layoff.
The layoff must be accompanied by an explanation of the reduction that includes alternatives considered, whether the RIF complies with associated laws and how the RIF affects the agency’s mission.
Second, the legislation extends protections for foreign service officers by only allowing them to be included in RIFs only based on job performance, rather than budget needs. This would include considering employment tenure, language capabilities and military preference before laying off a foreign service officer.
The bill also requires a minimum 120 days’ notice for foreign service officers and 60 days for civil service employees included in RIFs.
Lastly, the bill requires the State Department to provide at least 30 days’ advance notice before making changes to RIF procedures.
The bill will likely not pass in the Republican-controlled Senate. Additionally, Rubio’s dismantling of USAID further cemented the agencies desire to cut spending across its operations.
“Americans will not pay taxes to fund failed governments in faraway lands,” Rubio said. “Moving forward, our assistance will be targeted and time limited.”
It is estimated USAID spent $715 billion over several decades in its operation.
“We will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves and will target our resources to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector, including American companies, and global investment,” Rubio said.
Rubio said he would implement a 15% cut in the State Department on July 1 but appeared to delay while nationwide injunctions held up the layoffs in court.
The State Department did not immediately respond for comment on Rubio’s plans to further reduce the agency’s workforce.
