Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is facing a wave of withering bipartisan criticism that his effort to reform the State Department is instead spurring an exodus of talent that undermines American diplomacy and endangers the nation, CNN reports.
The turmoil surrounding Tillerson's stewardship of the State Department deepened this week as lawmakers questioned key elements of his strategy to shrink what he sees as a bloated bureaucracy.
Sens. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who chairs the Armed Services committee, and Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, said low morale and a perceived flood of career diplomats leaving Foggy Bottom "paint a disturbing picture."
In a Wednesday letter to Tillerson, the senators expressed "deep reservations" about his staffing decisions, which, they said, "threaten to undermine the long-term health and effectiveness of American diplomacy." Voicing concerns over a recent halt in hiring new foreign service officers -- a move they say will result in a lack of experienced personnel in the future -- the lawmakers urged Tillerson to lift a hiring freeze and promote experienced Foreign Service officers.
Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, warned a "high-level decapitation of leadership" has "put our country in danger."
"This situation is alarming," he told reporters Wednesday.
Even Tillerson's typical allies, such as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, have tough words for the secretary of state. The Tennessee Republican earlier this week slammed Tillerson's reorganization efforts, saying, "I don't think they are anywhere close to having a plan to present relative to the reforms that they want."
Rocky first year
The rebukes mark the latest headache for Tillerson, whose rocky first year in office has been marked by disagreements with President Donald Trump and an inability -- or unwillingness -- to connect with career staff at the State Department, which has led to plummeting morale. Tillerson's management struggles combined with widespread reports that he's frustrated in the job are fueling constant speculation that his days in the administration are numbered and that CIA Director Mike Pompeo is waiting to take over. (For his part, Tillerson insists he isn't going anywhere and is scheduling work-related trips into next year.)
The lawmakers' concern about staffing was prompted by a letter from the president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a union for US foreign service personnel, excoriating the State Department's leadership. Ambassador Barbara Stephenson told union members the top ranks of the foreign service are leaving "at a dizzying speed."
Career ambassadors are the most elite US diplomats in the foreign service, equivalent to a four-star general. Fewer than 60 individuals have attained the rank since it was instituted in 1955. Of the five people who held the rank at the beginning of the administration, three have since retired or quit. Stephenson lamented the department's partial hiring freeze and predicted the loss of top talent will be felt for years.
(Tillerson has approved 2,300 exemptions from the hiring freeze as of last month, according to the State Department. That includes more than 300 foreign service officers and 150 civil service staff employees.)