Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s mass firing of State Department personnel.  

“The mass firing of civil service and foreign service employees at the State Department is a reckless and unilateral disarmament of our national security toolbox. It is a gift to our adversaries and the way Secretary Rubio carried out this process further underscores the chaos and disregard for the rule of law that defines this administration.  

“Republicans claim to put ‘America First,’ but gutting our diplomatic and development corps does the opposite. These public servants have?put America first their entire careers, advancing U.S. interests in some of the world’s most dangerous and complex environments. These firings — compounded by the administration’s unilateral shuttering of key bureaus and offices — effectively guts the institutional knowledge and expertise of the State Department that will take years to rebuild. 

“Despite Secretary Rubio’s claims, hollowing out the State Department does not make the U.S. more ‘agile.’ It puts us on our heels at a time when global threats are on the rise. This is not reform — it is sabotage. 

“By firing the very experts who keep us safe, Secretary Rubio is squandering decades of taxpayer investment in a world-class diplomatic force. These professionals deserve better. He should immediately reverse course and consult with Congress on a smarter way forward.”