U.S. Department of State / Flickr
The State Department is granting a new exemption to the federal hiring freeze, allowing US diplomats to staff key embassy positions with eligible family members, according to a memo obtained by The Daily Wire.
The exemption applies to Eligible Family Members (EFMs) — typically the spouses of overseas State Department employees — and permits them to fill vacant embassy roles that were previously held by employees with similar status, The Daily Wire reported. It does not allow for the creation of new positions or for roles last held by non-family employees.
“This is a commonsense, pro-family policy,” a State Department official told The Daily Wire, “to keep the family members of our diplomats together as they work toward implementing the America First agenda at our overseas posts.”
The policy serves as a narrow exception to President Donald Trump’s January executive order that froze federal hiring as part of his broader effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
According to The Daily Wire, the unclassified memo says the move is intended to “support the operational readiness of U.S. Missions” and serves as “a critical step forward in supporting our overseas staffing needs and family member employment opportunities.”
The memo adds that the exemption “makes available a pool of highly qualified candidates who can quickly fill both temporary and long-term positions that support operational readiness,” according to the outlet.
The Daily Wire reported that EFMs will also be eligible to join the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps, “granting them active security clearance and positioning them to fill critical domestic and overseas roles.”
