Secretary of State Marco Rubio is driving a sweeping overhaul of the State Department, slashing its bloated structure to save taxpayer money and cut through bureaucratic red tape.

Acting on President Donald Trump’s directive, Rubio has notified Congress of plans to eliminate or consolidate over 300 offices—nearly 45% of the department’s domestic operations. This reform aims to streamline operations, reduce costs, and deliver better outcomes for Americans.

Slashing Bureaucratic Overgrowth

Over the past 25 years, the State Department’s domestic operations have tripled, creating a tangled web of nearly 750 offices with overlapping roles. Rubio’s plan aggressively targets this inefficiency, cutting or merging over 300 offices, as outlined in a document shared with The Daily Signal by a senior official.

The department will reorganize into focused bureaus handling energy and technology, humanitarian affairs, internal operations, foreign assistance, strategy, and security.

For example, cybersecurity and digital freedom tasks will shift from the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to other relevant bureaus, eliminating redundancy. This leaner structure will reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, enabling faster, more effective diplomacy.

Saving Taxpayer Dollars

The State Department’s unchecked growth has saddled taxpayers with soaring costs and lackluster results.

Rubio’s plan tackles this by slashing nearly half of the department’s domestic offices and mandating a 15% staff reduction across bureaus. By consolidating duplicative functions and streamlining operations, the department will operate more cost-effectively.

These savings will ease the financial burden on Americans while ensuring the department remains equipped to advance U.S. interests globally. The focus on fiscal discipline emphasizes Rubio’s commitment to delivering value for every taxpayer dollar.

Building a Modern, Agile Department

Rubio’s vision is to bring the State Department “into the 21st Century,” as he stated after notifying Congress.

“Over the past quarter century, the domestic operations of the State Department have grown exponentially, resulting in more bureaucracy, higher costs, and fewer results for the American people,” Rubio said.

His plan, shaped with input from lawmakers and long-serving employees, ensures the department operates “at the speed of relevancy.”

By eliminating outdated offices and realigning critical functions like cybersecurity, the reorganization equips the department to address modern global challenges with precision. This forward-thinking approach strengthens America’s ability to promote its interests and keep citizens safe worldwide.

Rubio’s decisive action surpasses the initial April target of closing 132 offices and consolidating 137, marking a significant step toward a leaner, more effective State Department that prioritizes American taxpayers and national interests.

Do you support the work the Trump administration is doing to cut down on government waste and inefficiency? As always, let us know what you think in the comments below!