The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined human rights partners in a June 13 statement calling on the U.S. Congress to reject Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s proposed reorganization of the State Department.
Secretary Rubio’s proposed plan, announced in May, would drastically downsize the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), which is responsible for documenting and responding to press freedom violations and providing assistance to journalists at risk around the world. In addition, the reorganization plan would significantly cut staff working on human rights policy, including those supporting journalists and press freedom. These changes would significantly degrade the U.S. government’s capacity to address press freedom violations of press freedom and support journalists at risk globally.
“The U.S. government’s diplomatic capacity, built over decades of bipartisan collaboration and sustained by dedicated expert staff, is instrumental in defending fundamental freedoms and democratic values worldwide, including press freedom. Its strength is critical for America’s national security and global standing, and provides a consequential lifeline for journalists and media outlets who find themselves in the crosshairs for their reporting,” said CPJ’s U.S. Advocacy Representative Loghman Fattahi in a joint press release.
CPJ therefore urges Congress to reject this proposed reorganization and ensure the continued strength of U.S. efforts to protect fundamental freedoms, including press freedom and journalists globally.
Read the letter here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
CPJ Staff | Radio Free (2025-06-13T21:14:55+00:00) CPJ and civil society partners call on Congress to reject proposed State Department reorganization plan. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2025/06/13/cpj-and-civil-society-partners-call-on-congress-to-reject-proposed-state-department-reorganization-plan/
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