Trump Admin Fires Climate Aid, Policy Workers As State Department Faces Major Overhaul Under Rubio: Report

The Trump government has terminated employees working on U.S. global climate policy and climate aid as part of the State Department’s restructuring, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a new report revealed.

The terminated employees were under an office that played a major role in U.S. negotiations with other countries regarding global climate change efforts, Reuters reported Thursday.

State Department cuts climate policy, aid office

Federal workers in charge of global climate policy and climate aid in the United States have been dismissed, the outlet reported, citing four sources familiar with the termination notices.

The terminated federal workers were specifically career employees under the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs’ Office of Global Change.

They played a lead role in negotiations involved with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN process for negotiating how “dangerous” human interference in the climate system can be prevented.

It is unclear if some office functions before the layoffs will be folded into other bureaus or units within the Department.

Move aligns with Trump’s climate views

News of the unit cuts came a few months after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the country from the Paris climate agreement.

He has also said he will withdraw the U.S. from negotiations over decarbonization measures at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Notably, officials from the office affected in the latest round of federal agency cuts represented the country at the IMO.

State Department downsizing meets backlash

Rubio’s proposal to slim down the Department has been met with fierce opposition by some Democrats and advocates.

According to Rubio, the State Department is “bloated” and requires restructuring that will include cutting down human rights offices.

The Secretary of State has called “fake news” a weekend report by the New York Times about a supposed draft executive order that will “drastically overhaul” the department, but the reported job cuts at a climate office may suggest otherwise.

Also, on Tuesday, Rubio unveiled “sweeping changes” to the department that he said should reverse “decades of bloat and bureaucracy” within the agency.

Rubio has yet to address concerns about the potential consequences of a sudden, sweeping overhaul of the country’s diplomatic department.