Washington, D.C. — Foreign Policy for America strongly opposes the Trump administration’s reckless plan to fire thousands of nonpartisan diplomats and other foreign policy professionals. These dedicated public servants keep Americans safe, promote U.S. businesses abroad, and advance American interests on the global stage. At a time when the United States faces so many unprecedented crises around the world, we cannot afford to weaken our diplomatic corps.
If the administration moves forward with this plan, our competitors and adversaries will work to fill the void that our withdrawal from the world creates. As we consider cutting our diplomatic corps, China expands its own—deepening relationships, shaping global institutions, and presenting itself as an upholder of a rules-based order. China’s global diplomatic presence now exceeds that of America’s.
Congress must exercise its oversight authority to demand answers. The administration’s proposed layoffs would further weaken our national security, erode our global influence, and damage our ability to lead with principle.
“There’s not one bit of evidence these cuts will make our country stronger or safer at a time when China is ramping up its diplomatic engagement around the world,” said Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of Foreign Policy for America. “The folks Trump is planning to fire are dedicated public servants who help stop conflicts before they spin out of control, respond to global emergencies, and open doors for U.S. businesses. Who wins when you gut the State Department? It’s not Americans.”
“In almost 40 years at the State Department, I have never seen cuts that were so damaging to the U.S. national interest or so non-strategically and callously decided,” said Ambassador Laura Kennedy, FP4A Foundation Board member and former Ambassador to Turkmenistan.
“This plan pushes aside the people who’ve spent their careers building strong ties with other countries and standing up for America around the world,” said Brian Volsky, Policy Director at Foreign Policy for America. “It will take years for us to recover from the consequences of this decision, which I suspect the administration will come to regret once it realizes it doesn’t have the people or expertise necessary to implement its priorities.”
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