Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Rubio to do away with climate, 'cultural' priorities at US State Dept
Washington, Jan 22 (AFP) Jan 22, 2025
New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he will rid the State Department of work on climate and "cultural" issues, saying President Donald Trump would emphasize the "basics of diplomacy."

The approach marks a sharp turnaround from diplomacy under former president Joe Biden and secretary of state Antony Blinken, who among other appointments named the first-ever US special envoy on LGBTQ rights abroad.

"We must return to the basics of diplomacy by eliminating our focus on political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad," Rubio said in a statement.

"This will allow us to conduct a pragmatic foreign policy in cooperation with other nations to advance our core national interests."

On climate, a top priority for Biden who ramped up clean energy and international assistance for worst-hit countries, Rubio said that the State Department instead would focus on Trump's goal of "a return to American energy dominance."

"We must leverage our strengths and do away with climate policies that weaken America," Rubio said, while promising still to support "sensible environmental protections."

Rubio said that the State Department would also "no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration," a veiled reference to work to resettle refugees, and would eliminate previous diversity goals in hiring.

Rubio, in his confirmation hearing, had promised to move the United States away from its post-Cold War emphasis on a "liberal global order" and instead pursue raw US national interest, saying that rivals such as China are doing likewise.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
NASA's Webb Uncovers Ancient Features of Trans-Neptunian Objects
New research explores CubeSat swarms for spacecraft servicing and repair
NASA: 1.6% chance newly discovered asteroid will impact Earth in 2032

24/7 Energy News Coverage
In a first, researchers stabilize a promising new class of high-temperature superconductors at room pressure
Chinese scientists utilize SDGSAT-1 satellite for offshore oil and gas platform monitoring
Cleaning up critical minerals and materials production, using microwave plasma

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Ahead of controversial negotiations, Trump says Putin wants to 'stop fighting'
Chatbot vs national security? Why DeepSeek is raising concerns
Canadian warship in Taiwan Strait 'undermines peace', says China

24/7 News Coverage
NASA Tests Drones to Provide Micrometeorology, Aid in Fire Response
BlackSky Secures Multi-Year Contracts to Enhance India's Earth Observation Capabilities
'What would you have us do?': the plastic credits problem


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.