Pompeo Lifts Unpopular State Dept. Hiring Freeze That Tillerson Enacted

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the director of the CIA, Rep.ÊMike Pompeo(R-KS) testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on January 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. Mr. Pompeo is a former Army officer who graduated first in his class from West Point.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the director of the CIA, Rep.Mike Pompeo(R-KS) attends his confirmation hearing before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee on Janua... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the director of the CIA, Rep.Mike Pompeo(R-KS) attends his confirmation hearing before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee on January 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. Mr. Pompeo is a former Army officer who graduated first in his class from West Point. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) MORE LESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has lifted the unpopular hiring freeze that had been in place at the State Department for more than a year.

Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson enacted the freeze as part of his unsuccessful attempt to restructure and slim down the State Department. That created significant obstacles to filling key positions and employing spouses of U.S. diplomats and contributed to low morale within the department.

Pompeo says he’s authorizing the department to hire both in the United States and overseas within the agency’s current funding levels. He says in a letter to State Department workers obtained by The Associated Press that the U.S. needs “our men and woman on the ground executing American diplomacy with great vigor and energy.”

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  1. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    First you purge, then you replace with your own people. Quickly, before any oversight can kick in.

  2. Exactly. Pompeo looked around and said, “Foggy Bottom isn’t nearly swampy enough.”

  3. Tillerson enacted but it was Trump’s idea, right? I don’t recall any news story about the President pleading with the Secretary of State to leave career State Department staff in place.

  4. Avatar for planb planb says:

    Agree, replace with loyalists that will stay there for ages and be in position to undermine efforts of different administration.

  5. Probably Pence and his Christian cabal’s idea to freeze hiring until they have the sufficient number of zealots to take the positions in one fell swoop.

    Pompeo is part of that cabal.

    Onward annointed Evil Christian soldiers to prophesied Armageddon sanctified by your God who has placed you His chosen to fulfill His will, you Evil Evangelical motherfuckers, every last one of you.

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