Tillerson Proposing State Dept, USAID Consolidation

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released the first step of a reform plan that could merge the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development – calling it "the most important thing" he will do at the agency, CNN reported.

In an email to employees – the text of which was provided to CNN – Tillerson said he hopes to save up to $10 billion over five years with the redesign aiming to "align" resources from the State Department and USAID, CNN reported.

Tillerson calls the restructuring "employee-led," and wrote in the email that input from an agency-wide survey and a listening tour of the State Department and USAID would govern the redesign, CNN reported.

More than 35,000 employees responded to the survey, CNN reported.

The plan unveiled Thursday seeks to shave nearly 2,000 jobs through reforms over the next two and a half years, CNN reported.

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