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State Department says it will not violate court injunction as reorganization, layoffs await rulings
Summary
At a Department of State briefing, a spokesperson said the department has no plans to violate a federal court injunction that limits agency-wide layoffs tied to a planned reorganization, and declined to speculate whether the scheduled July 1 deadline for reductions in force will stand if the Supreme Court does not act.
A State Department spokesperson told reporters the department has no plans to violate a federal court order that has effectively blocked agency-wide layoffs tied to an ongoing reorganization, and declined to speculate on whether a July 1 deadline for reductions in force will proceed if the Supreme Court does not intervene.
The question came amid coverage of the department’s reorganization plan and recent changes to Foreign Affairs Manual text intended to prepare for potential reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures. Reporters pressed whether the reorganization’s RIF criteria would treat employees differently based on current post location and whether accrued languages and experience would be factored into merit-based determinations.
Why it matters: The outcome will affect career Foreign Service officers and other State Department employees and could reshape staffing and policy implementation at overseas posts. Key questions about procedures and protections remained unanswered at the briefing.
Key points - The spokesperson said, “we have no plans here at the department to violate a court order,” when asked whether the department would move forward if the Supreme Court does not act before a July 1 deadline. - On the question of how RIF criteria will be applied, including whether current post or language skills would affect determinations, the spokesperson emphasized the administration’s stated aim for the reorganization: “this reorganization is about making sure we're able to meet the challenges of the 21st century, being able to move at the speed of relevance... It's about empowering people instead of a bureaucracy.” The spokesperson declined to give detailed hypotheticals about individual employees or to describe specific scoring criteria. - Reporters raised concerns that changing RIF criteria that emphasize current post location could disadvantage officers whose career seniority, language skills or regional expertise were accumulated at different posts; the spokesperson said those questions reflect concerns the department has heard but would not preview individual outcomes.
Discussion versus decisions - Decision: None beyond the department’s prior public guidance on the reorganization and implementation timeline. The spokesperson reiterated compliance with court orders. - Discussion: Reporters sought clarification about RIF procedures, how “merit-based” changes will be defined, and whether language skills and prior postings will be factored into any personnel decisions.
What remains unclear - Whether the July 1 date for RIF implementation will be postponed if the Supreme Court does not act; the spokesperson would not speculate. - The exact RIF scoring criteria and how the department will weigh current posting versus career experience.
Ending: The spokesperson said the department has been communicating with Congress and the public about the reorganization and stressed that further procedural details will be released as appropriate, while noting the department’s intent to follow court orders.
