One Voice for America's Foreign Relations
The order directs the Secretary of State to reform the Foreign Service to ensure all diplomatic personnel faithfully implement the President's foreign policy, and establishes that failure to do so is grounds for professional discipline, including termination.
It gives the Secretary broad, exclusive discretion over personnel actions for Foreign Service officers, civil service employees, and other State Department staff — centralizing control over U.S. diplomatic personnel policy under presidential authority.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the Secretary of State to reform the Foreign Service and the administration of foreign relations to ensure faithful implementation of the President's foreign policy. It requires the Secretary to revise recruiting, performance, evaluation, and retention standards, and reform programs at the Foreign Service Institute. The Secretary is also directed to revise or replace the Foreign Affairs Manual and order subordinate agencies to remove or amend any handbooks, procedures, or guidance that are inconsistent with these reforms.
The order establishes that failure by any officer or employee to faithfully implement the President's foreign policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation. The Secretary is given sole and exclusive discretion over personnel actions for officials appointed within the Department, and must make a preliminary determination on whether to refer matters involving presidentially appointed officials to the President for consideration. No specific deadlines are set for the required reforms.
Who it affects
Members of the Foreign Service, civil service employees of the State Department, locally employed staff, and other State Department personnel. The order also affects the Secretary of State directly, who gains broad discretionary authority over personnel actions and reform implementation.
Why it matters
Foreign Service officers and State Department civil servants now face explicit grounds for discipline or removal if their conduct is deemed inconsistent with the President's foreign policy. This reshapes the professional culture and job security of the U.S. diplomatic workforce, which has traditionally had civil service and Foreign Service Act protections.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The Secretary of State serves as the implementing authority, with sole and exclusive discretion over personnel decisions for Department-appointed officials. For presidentially appointed officials, the Secretary makes a preliminary determination and may refer the matter to the President. Reform of recruiting, evaluation, retention, and the Foreign Affairs Manual proceeds at the Secretary's direction, with subordinate agencies required to follow revised guidance. No reporting chain to OMB or external oversight body is specified, and the order contains a standard severability clause noting it creates no enforceable rights.
Actions and deadlines
- Reform the Foreign Service and administration of foreign relations to ensure faithful policy implementation
- Revise recruiting, performance, evaluation, and retention standards and Foreign Service Institute programs
- Revise or replace the Foreign Affairs Manual and direct subordinate agencies to remove or amend related guidance