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Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter

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Defense &
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The Big Story

State Department scraps office dedicated to relocating Afghan allies

A proposed reorganization of the State Department would cut an office dedicated to helping Afghan allies escape the country.

The Thursday notification to Congress would cut the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE), eliminating the office on July 1.

“This is not streamlining. This is deliberate dismantling. The CARE Office was established to fix the failures of the U.S. withdrawal. Eliminating it — without public explanation, transition planning, or reaffirmation of mission — is a profound betrayal of American values and promises,” Shawn Van Diver, the president of #AfghanEvac, said in a statement.

The move is part of a massive redesign of the State Department that pushes additional cuts beyond the sweeping proposals previously made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In addition to slashing programs, it also proposes cutting another 18 percent of staff and would further solidify the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

While the Trump administration has been critical of former President Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, it was the first Trump administration that initially brokered a deal to leave the country.

In the aftermath of the withdrawal, key Republicans in Congress have put up roadblocks to efforts that would aid Afghans – both those in the U.S. and those left behind in the chaotic exit.

While the restructuring proposal said Afghan issues would be handled by the Afghanistan Affairs Office, congressional Democrats saw it as an end to an office designed to handle the complex needs faced by vulnerable Afghans. Many remain in hiding in the country and face challenges in getting travel documents.

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guides to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will give remarks tonight at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

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In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

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You’re all caught up. See you next week!

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