Diplomats Question Tactics of Tillerson, the Executive Turned Secretary of State
George said that The secretary of state has to focus on the president, his policies and the other heads of government
that he deals with, which means he cannot possibly run the department operationally himself,
Ronald said that There’s a broad acceptance of the need for reorganization
and a growing frustration at the need for decisions to deal with ongoing issues,
But in the meantime, State Department officials must tend to the daily functions of the department
— writing reports to Congress, issuing visas and interacting with 190 countries.
However, the ship of state can, and must, keep moving during this process." At a rare meeting with reporters in July, Mr. Tillerson acknowledged
that the State Department suffered from poor morale but was generally dismissive of the criticism at its root.
"And they are causing larger problems that can be fixed if things are vetted properly
and installed." Mr. Tillerson, 65, has made clear his assessment of not only the State Department but the federal government in general.
To these officials, it is a classic case of micromanagement — and emblematic of the way Mr. Tillerson has approached running the State Department.
Mr. Tillerson has said the reorganization will be driven by suggestions from staff members,
but before the survey process even began he proposed a 31 percent cut to the department’s budget and an 8 percent staff cut — suggesting to many that his mind was already made up.
