Bera, Olszewski Lead 14 House Democrats Demanding Answers from State Department on Reduction in Force Decisions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) led a group of 14 House Democrats in a letter to the State Department demanding answers regarding the Department's rationale for their reduction in force (RIF) process that resulted in the dismissal of approximately 1,350 Civil and Foreign Service employees.

The letter, sent to Under Secretary of State for Management and Resources Jason Evans, raises concerns about the inconsistent explanations Administration officials have provided regarding how the layoffs were carried out, whether merit or mission alignment guided the process, and the broader impact the staffing cuts are having on U.S. diplomacy and national security.

On March 18, 2026, during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Under Secretary Evans committed to providing the Committee with evidence supporting the basis for the RIFs.

"The rationale for these actions remains unclear, and the Committee has not received a comprehensive written metric-based justification for why these RIFs took place, nor a detailed explanation of how they were carried out and the impact of these vacancies on the Department and its mission," the lawmakers wrote.

The letter comes as the State Department finalized layoffs for hundreds of employees who had remained on administrative leave for nearly a year, even as the Department continued working to fill vacant positions and recruit new personnel.

"These inconsistent explanations have raised significant concerns regarding the basis and implementation of the RIFs, and their impact on the Department's workforce and mission readiness," the Members continued.

The lawmakers are requesting detailed information from the State Department regarding the criteria used to carry out the RIFs, the role of merit evaluations in the process, and the impact the staffing cuts have had on the Department's operations and readiness.

The letter was also signed by Representatives Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), William Keating (MA-09), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07).

You can read the full letter here.