Credit: Getty Images.

Earlier this month, the Department of State fired 1,353 of its employees, including top experts in nuclear arms, human rights, Russian disinformation campaigns and economic diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that his staff was “bloated.”

Why should you care about this? What does this mean for average Americans in the Capital Region?

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More than you may think. Let’s look closely at the people we are talking about.

These are the people who stand, unarmed, at the front lines of national security. People who work at the Department of State are the people at the other end of the phone call when your loved ones are in trouble overseas. They ensure that only legitimate applicants get visas to travel to the United States. They negotiate in favor of U.S. businesses large and small to access lucrative markets, increasing employment........

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