EXCLUSIVE: State Department Rolls Out ‘Pro-Family’ Exemption To Hiring Freeze

WASHINGTON—The State Department is rolling out a “pro-family” exemption to the federal hiring freeze for the families of diplomats working abroad, according to an internal memo obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire.

The exemption will allow diplomats to staff key embassy posts with eligible family members, known as EFMs. Eligible family members are often the spouse of the State Department employee assigned to the overseas station, and have traditionally been used to temporarily staff certain positions. 

“This is a commonsense, pro-family policy to keep the family members of our diplomats together as they work toward implementing the America First agenda at our overseas posts,” a senior State Department official told The Daily Wire. 

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating a freeze on hiring new federal employees. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been overhauling the State Department. As part of this reorganization, the State Department has begun mass layoffs for bureaucratic positions, largely based in Washington, D.C.

The State Department said in the unclassified memo that the exemption would help support families and “support the operational readiness of U.S. Missions” and that it would be “a critical step forward in supporting our overseas staffing needs and family member employment opportunities.”

The memo, which will be sent out later today, authorizes overseas posts to start hiring eligible family members into empty positions that were previously occupied by someone with similar status. The freeze exemption will not allow for new positions to be created and cannot be used to fill vacancies previously filled by non-family member employees. 

“This exemption to the hiring freeze for EFMs makes available a pool of highly qualified candidates who can quickly fill both temporary and long-term positions that support operational readiness,” the memo says. “These will include positions in human resources, finance, security, political/economic, community liaison, medical, and consular services, ensuring that overseas posts function smoothly.”

The memo says that the policy reflects “the Department’s commitment to operational readiness, workforce morale, and the well-being of [Foreign Service] families” and that employees are encouraged to “prioritize” the hiring of eligible family members. 

The exemption will also allow eligible family members to join the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps, meaning that they will have an active security clearance allowing them to fill “domestic and overseas positions quickly when needed.”