The CIA has offered a buyout to all employees, in a restructuring agenda the Trump administration has named as one of its top priorities. Among those priorities is an intensified combat on drug cartels. That makes the move a landmark shift in the operations of the agency’s officials who have sought to downsize the federal workforce.
The buyout program will give employees who resign close to eight months of salary and benefits. The move follows a similar package extended to most civilian federal agencies last month, although national security roles were initially exempt. The CIA’s participation makes it the first known intelligence agency to adopt such an offer.
In addition to the buyout, the CIA has halted hiring of individuals who received conditional offers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some of the conditional offers might be revoked if candidates no longer fit the shifting priorities of an administration that more recently has put economic competition from China and weaving intelligence into trade negotiations on the list.
Despite the enticements, interest in the buyout seems scant. Federal workforce career coaches say employees have shown little interest, and lawmakers have raised questions about the legality and possible consequences of the offer. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) noted the absence of statutory authority for the president’s offer and warned employees against accepting it, saying it would be a “risky thing to do.”.
The buyout initiative is seen as a way to get employees who disagree with the administration’s policies to leave the agency. Under CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the agency is expected to be more aggressive in espionage and covert operations, with drug cartels and China among the top targets. During his confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe asked CIA officers to prepare themselves for a harder operational drive. This was his warning to all the people that may not cope and will reconsider their career direction.
This will probably result in the CIA placing increased emphasis on gathering intelligence across the Western Hemisphere, including operations against the government of Mexico with the aim of strengthening Trump’s position in ongoing trade disputes. The agency will also be more directly involved in efforts to disrupt Mexican drugs cartels, which Trump designated as terrorist organizations on his first full day in office.
It is unclear if other intelligence agencies will follow suit and make similar buyout offers. In a related development, the Senate Intelligence Committee recently approved the nomination of former Representative Tulsi Gabbard to the post overseeing all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies as Director of National Intelligence. She awaits confirmation from the full Senate.
