Executive Order 14211 of February 12, 2025: One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations. Read:
- Executive Order on whitehouse.gov
- Federal Register cite: 90 FR 9831 (February 18, 2025)
- Fact Sheet on the executive order
This executive order declares that an "exceptional workforce of patriots" is needed to effectively implement the President's foreign policy, and that "[f]ailure to faithfully implement the President’s policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation" of foreign service officers. The order also calls for "foreign service reform" and for revising or replacing the Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual.
Section 2, Policy, regarding foreign relations personnel including foreign service officers, declares that "Failure to faithfully implement the President’s policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation."
Section 5, Foreign Service Reform, directs the Secretary of State to take the following actions,"consistent with applicable law:"
- "reform the Foreign Service and the administration of foreign relations to ensure faithful and effective implementation of the President’s foreign policy agenda"
- "implement reforms in recruiting, performance, evaluation, and retention standards, and the programs of the Foreign Service Institute, to ensure a workforce that is committed to faithful implementation of the President’s foreign policy" and
- "revise or replace the Foreign Affairs Manual and direct subordinate agencies to remove, amend, or replace any handbooks, procedures, or guidance."
This could impact the nature and number of staff at U.S. consulates and embassies and affect the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) that has guided foreign service officers and the public for decades.
The executive order repeats the phrase "consistent with applicable law." As background, the modern Foreign Service has existed for over one hundred years. The comprehensive foreign service system is currently governed by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 codified at 22 USC Chapter 52. The 1980 Act (Public Law 96-465, October 17, 1980) replaced the Foreign Service Act of 1946, which itself had built upon the foundation laid by the Rogers Act of 1924.