Introduction to the Proposed Changes
A draft of a Trump administration executive order has been circulating, proposing a drastic restructuring of the State Department. The changes include eliminating almost all of its Africa operations and shutting down embassies and consulates across the continent. The draft also calls for cutting offices at State Department headquarters that address climate change and refugee issues, as well as democracy and human rights concerns.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Uncertainty of the Proposal
It is unclear who compiled the document or what stage of internal debates over a restructuring of the State Department it reflects. The document is one of several recent proposals for changes to the department, and internal administration conversations take place daily on possible actions. Some of the ideas have been debated among U.S. officials in recent weeks, though it is unclear to what degree they would be adopted or how active the draft is.
Reaction from Officials
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote a comment on social media calling the article "fake news." However, there are no indications that Mr. Rubio or his top aides have signed off on the document, though they have been working on a reorganization of the State Department. Neither the State Department nor the White House National Security Council replied to requests for comment on whether Mr. Trump would sign such an executive order.
The Purpose of the Executive Order
The purpose of the executive order is to impose "a disciplined reorganization" of the State Department and "streamline mission delivery" while cutting "waste, fraud and abuse." The order says the department is supposed to make the changes by Oct. 1. Some of the proposed changes would require congressional notification and would likely be challenged by lawmakers, including mass closures of diplomatic missions and headquarters bureaus, as well as an overhaul of the diplomatic corps.
Proposed Changes to the State Department
The draft executive order proposes several changes to the State Department, including:
- Eliminating the bureau of African affairs, which oversees policy in sub-Saharan Africa
- Closing all "nonessential" embassies and consulates in sub-Saharan Africa by Oct. 1
- Establishing a new senior position, the under secretary for transnational threat elimination, to oversee counternarcotics policy and other issues
- Eliminating the position of the special envoy for climate
- Ending the foreign service exam for aspiring diplomats and laying out new hiring criteria that includes "alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision"
Impact on Personnel
The proposed reorganization would also affect personnel, with the department beginning to put large numbers of workers on paid leave and sending out notices of termination. The draft order calls for narrowing Fulbright scholarships so that they are given only to students doing master’s level studies in national security matters. The department would also end its contract with Howard University to recruit candidates for the Rangel and Pickering fellowships.
Reaction from Lawmakers
Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a social media post: "Whether parts of this draft EO ever reach Trump’s desk, it’s already clear this administration is determined to gut the @StateDept and run American diplomacy and development capabilities into the ground." A White House official said the proposals were not true and that the White House was not considering them.
Conclusion
The proposed changes to the State Department have sparked controversy and concern among lawmakers and officials. The drastic restructuring, including the elimination of the bureau of African affairs and the closure of embassies and consulates, would have significant implications for U.S. diplomacy and development capabilities. The fate of the proposed changes remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the Trump administration is determined to leave its mark on the State Department.
