KEY POINTS
- Rubio said the proposed restructuring should eliminate the 'bloated' system at the Department
- CIP's Dylan Williams said gutting the State Department will only hurt US interests
- Democratic leaders blasted the proposal as a means of 'eviscerating American soft power'
U.S. State Department chief Marco Rubio on Tuesday unveiled an overhaul plan for the agency that will include layoffs and cutting down on human rights offices, drawing sharp criticism from advocates and Democrats.
Rubio believes the Department is "bloated" and as such is unable to perform its duties, but for advocates who believe in the agency's mission, the proposed restructuring will undermine the nation's role in global diplomacy and the fight for human rights.
Rubio Targets Human Rights Offices, Senior Positions
"The sprawling bureaucracy created a system more beholden to radical political ideology than advancing America's core national interests," Rubio said of the Department.
In his proposal, he touted the elimination of a division that oversees "civilian security, democracy and human rights." The said unit is led by an undersecretary of state, a senior position in the Department.
The restructuring plan also seeks to eliminate the Office of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, which works around preventing atrocities overseas before they take place.
Rubio, Trump Administration Under Fire
Rubio's plan has been met with fierce opposition from some Democrats and advocates who believe the move will only be a hurdle in the Department's diplomatic and human rights duties.
For Dylan Williams, the vice president of Government Affairs at the Center for International Policy (CIP), "gutting" the Department will hurt American interests.
Trump’s now confirmed plan to slash the State Department budget and eliminate key offices and functions is an assault on US diplomacy that will further decimate our influence and standing in the world, making our country less strong, secure and prosperous.@CIPolicy’s statement: pic.twitter.com/VQehFERbFE
— Dylan Williams (@dylanotes) April 22, 2025
"The Trump Administration's plan to slash the funding and functions of the State Department is nothing less than an assault on American diplomacy," he wrote in a statement Tuesday.
One X user pointed out how the United States is known for its "ability to lead with values." For the said user, Rubio's proposal will render American diplomacy irrelevant. "History will remember this as the moment the GOP traded global influence for a soundbite."
Well, Marco, I must say this State Department overhaul is a masterclass in historical amnesia. Closing 132 offices—human rights, democracy, Africa bureaus—because they don’t fit Trump’s “America First” bumper sticker? That’s not streamlining; it’s surrendering. Let’s talk…
— Mike Young 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱🟧 (@micyoung75) April 22, 2025
Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the potential changes Rubio wants across the Department have less to do with streamlined operations but are more about "eviscerating American soft power, including our values-driven defense of human rights and democracy globally."
Ranking Member @RepGregoryMeeks's statement on Secretary Rubio’s announced plan to reorganize the State Department. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aIVbEVxkF2
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) April 22, 2025
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons demanded that Rubio present his plan to Congress and "testify about how this plan would help us compete with China, and make America safer and stronger."
Coons said the proposal was alarming and called out the Trump administration for attempting to one-sidedly "rewrite and restructure the oldest, and in some ways, most important department in our whole federal government."
I’m still reviewing Secretary Rubio’s reorganization of the State Department, but I already know one thing: he needs to come to Congress and testify about how this plan would help us compete with China, and make America safer and stronger. pic.twitter.com/w9YRSwyWgD
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) April 22, 2025
Rubio has yet to address concerns around his proposal, but he reiterated Tuesday that he will, with President Donald Trump's backing, reverse alleged "decades of bloat and bureaucracy" within the Department.
The planned cuts at the Department are part of Trump's efforts to downsize the federal government. His efforts have been driven by work around Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
