Senate Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee are demanding answers within one week from Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of State Department employees, raising alarm that arbitrary layoffs are expelling critical expertise and talent.

The panel's Democrats sent a letter to Rubio on Friday, as the State Department began issuing notices that a reduction in force (RIF) would be carried out, impacting around 1,100 civil service employees and 250 foreign service officers.

“RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented must be conducted according to long-standing procedures that prioritize transparency and a merit-based process for both career civil service employees and Foreign Service Officers........

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