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These are the State Department offices hit hardest by widespread layoffs

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The State Department laid off nearly 1,350 employees earlier this month, but certain bureaus and offices are feeling those cuts more than others.

A bureau-by-bureau breakdown of the department’s July 11 reduction-in-force, based on data obtained by Federal News Network, shows its human resources office, the Bureau of Global Talent Management, lost more than 150 employees, more than any other bureau.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs lost more than 100 employees in the RIF, but the State Department recently reinstated about 25 bureau employees who oversee key components of its passport operations.

The Office of Planning and Program Support (PPS) — part of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services — was briefly “abolished,” according to a reinstated employee and the union that represents these employees, but all its employees were reinstated shortly after receiving RIF notices.

Among its duties, the office forecasts demand for passports and ensures passport agencies have the staffing and funding needed to keep up with their workload. The State Department in recent years struggled with seasonal backlogs in issuing and renewing passports, but returned to pre-pandemic processing times by the end of 2023.

Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, told House and Senate committees last week that RIFs at the Bureau of Consular Affairs only targeted “administrative functions,” and not any frontline staff who process passports.

“Individuals in Consular Affairs who are processing passports and adjudicating passports, that function was not touched,” Rigas told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 16. “Other functions, which have sort of a management remit and can be combined into other offices, we did find efficiencies and economies of scale to combine management functions across the department.”

Overall, a small percentage of employees who received RIF notices were terminated by accident, and have since been reinstated.

“There were very minor discrepancies, which were immediately resolved in real time by an organized and prepared State Department response team,” a senior State Department official told Federal News Network.

In a notice shared with Federal News Network, Lew Olowski, the senior bureau official in charge of the Bureau of Global Talent Management, told employees that they received a RIF notice because of an “administrative error.”

“Your position is not being abolished as part of the Department reorganization,” Olowski wrote.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, which manages the department’s international real estate portfolio, also lost nearly 100 employees.

Employees who received reduction-in-force notices left the department’s headquarters on July 11, some carrying boxes and office supplies. Staff and protestors at a rally outside applauded RIF’d employees as they walked out.

Former Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, now president and CEO of Human Rights First, said the RIF “decimates U.S. diplomacy and it makes us less safe.”

“Rather than retaining the skills and expertise honed over decades by those who served, [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio kneecapped American human rights and humanitarian leadership in one fell swoop,” Zeya said on July 11 at a rally outside the State Department’s headquarters.

Kelly Rodriguez, a former senior diplomat who led global labor policy at the State Department under the Biden administration, said terminated employees helped fight forced child labor overseas and end unfair competition in the global economy.

“These actions weaken our economy and fragile global supply chains. They undermine our trade and national security. They jeopardize the livelihoods, rights and ability for workers to have a safe and decent job here again and around the world,” Rodriguez said.

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), a former diplomat at the State Department, said RIF’d employees “deserved better than this.”

“This is no way to treat people who have served our nation. Many of them have served in harm’s way or worked in war zones, risked their lives for our country and now being treated with such disrespect,” Kim said.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said the department’s layoffs weaken the U.S. diplomatic mission and “makes us less safe.”

“It hurts everyone in our country, because it diminishes our ability to advance America’s interests and America’s values around the world,” he said

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The post These are the State Department offices hit hardest by widespread layoffs first appeared on Federal News Network.

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GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess

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August 3, 2025

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) has unveiled a procedural scheme to block President Donald Trump from making any critical appointments during the August recess, effectively aiding the Democrats’ obstructionist agenda.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president can make “recess appointments,” temporary appointments to federal positions, if the Senate is in recess and not conducting business. These appointments don’t require immediate Senate confirmation and can last until the end of the next session of Congress.

But there’s a loophole: if the Senate holds pro forma sessions, very short, symbolic meetings where no actual business is conducted, then technically, the Senate is still in session. That means the president cannot legally make recess appointments during that time.

John Thune has quietly secured unanimous‑consent for a paper‑thin Senate schedule through the Trump appointee confirmation deadline, ensuring only pro forma sessions on five key dates in early August.

Under the agreement, the chamber will adjourn after today’s business and reconvene without conducting any votes or business on:

  • Tue, Aug 5 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 8 – 1:05 p.m.
  • Tue, Aug 12 – 8:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 15 – 10:15 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 19 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 22 – 9:00 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 26 – 12:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 29 – 7:00 a.m.

WATCH:

Thune’s pro forma blueprint comes amid mounting pressure from Donald Trump, who has demanded the Senate remain open until all 150+ administration nominees are confirmed.

Under the Recess Appointments Clause, a president may only install nominees without Senate approval if both chambers are in formal recess for at least 10 days. By convening the Senate just long enough every few days, Thune blocks the possibility of Trump making unilateral appointees.

The Senate went into its August recess without confirming all of Trump’s pending judicial and district‑level appointments.

By the time lawmakers left town on Saturday evening, no deal had been reached to move dozens of Trump’s nominees, including U.S. district court picks, through final floor votes.

Only a small handful of nominees (such as Jeanine Pirro to be U.S. Attorney in D.C.) had advanced. Otherwise, nominees remained stalled in committees or waiting for cloture roll‑calls on the executive calendar.

Roughly 150–160 executive and judicial nominations, including over a dozen district court judges and U.S. attorney nominations, remained scheduled but unconfirmed.

The post GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road

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13 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that there have been about 1,500 truck drivers who do not speak English taken off the roads as part of a push to ensure foreign truck drivers are not causing accidents.

Back in 2016, the Obama administration stopped enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers, according to a report from The Daily Signal.

But in May, Duffy issued a guidance making clear that truck drivers who cannot demonstrate a proficiency in English cannot drive.

The 1,500 drivers were taken off the roads within the first 3o days of the rules once more being enforced, according to The Daily Signal.

“Since I took action to enforce language proficiency requirements for truckers, our state partners have put roughly 1,500 unqualified drivers out of service. That’s what I call results!” Duffy posted on X.

“If you can’t read or speak our national language — ENGLISH — we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.”

He added, “America First = Safety First.”

Duffy’s concerns were far from unfounded.

In January, there was a truck driver involved in a fatal crash that had to use a language interpreter for the post-crash investigation, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Another incident from 2019 involved a truck driver who could not proficiently speak English speeding through signs that warned of steep grades and dangerous curves, all at more than 100 miles per hour.

Four people died in that crash, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

President Donald Trump had likewise insisted with an April executive order that the move centered on public safety.

“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order said of truck drivers.

They also “need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” a position the order called “common sense.”

“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” the notice added.

“This order will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict

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13 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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via Wikimedia Commons

Slovenia has imposed an arms embargo on Israel, banning the export, import, and transit of weapons to and from the country.

This decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government session on July 31, 2025.

Slovenia claims to be the first European Union member to take such a step, citing the EU’s inability to act due to internal disagreements.

The government stated that no permits for military exports to Israel have been issued since October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza began.

Officials emphasized that the embargo is an independent measure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Slovenia has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased aid deliveries to the region.

In early July 2025, Slovenia declared two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, persona non grata, barring them from entry.

This action was based on their public statements regarding the conflict. Earlier, in June 2024, Slovenia recognized Palestinian statehood, joining countries like Ireland, Norway, and Spain in this move.

The conflict in Gaza started after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli territory, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the taking of hostages.

Israel responded with a military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure. Reports from Gaza’s health ministry indicate significant casualties, with ongoing international efforts to negotiate truces and provide aid.

Several other nations have taken similar diplomatic steps, including France, Britain, and Canada announcing potential recognition of a Palestinian state. Australia has also indicated that recognizing Palestinian statehood is under consideration.

Israel has criticized these declarations, arguing they could reward Hamas for its actions.

Israeli officials dismissed Slovenia’s embargo as insignificant, noting that Israel does not procure any defense materials from Slovenia.

An unnamed official stated that the country buys nothing from Slovenia, not even minor items.

Within the EU, there is growing pressure for measures against Israel, with Sweden and the Netherlands advocating for suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The European Commission has proposed limiting Israel’s participation in the Horizon research program, though Germany opposes such steps.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concerns about Israel’s potential diplomatic isolation during a visit to Jerusalem.

The United States remains a key ally to Israel, with President Donald Trump warning that recognizing Palestinian statehood might benefit Hamas.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance Gaza truce talks. These efforts aim to address the humanitarian crisis and secure a ceasefire.

The post Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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