Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is scrapping the Coordinator for Sanctions Policy Office in the State Department, the department that oversees foreign sanctions policy.
This change is in keeping with Tillerson’s agenda to reduce the size of the State Department and as a result, the Policy Planning Office will take over the tasks previously performed by the Sanctions office, Foreign Policy reported Thursday.
Daniel Fried, former coordinator for sanctions policy, told the publication that “you can’t read into that a lack of commitment to sanctions.” He added that “it’s not as if [the administration] is gutting sanctions altogether.”
The shuttering of the department follows the Trump administration missing an Oct. 1 deadline to impose new sanctions against Russia that Congress adopted in August, fueling bipartisan concerns about the Trump’s management of the State Department.
Still, Trump administration told Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Thursday that it still plans to administer sanctions and the State Department will work to identify those in the Russian defense and intelligence sectors that qualify for the sanctions.
“The guidance provided today by the State Department is a good first step in responsibly implementing a very complex piece of legislation, and I appreciate Secretary Tillerson’s attention to this important issue,” Corker said in a statement. “Congress will expect thorough and timely consultation until full implementation is complete.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton created the office as a way to work alongside the Treasury Department to administer tasks such as coordinating with Asian allies to work on sanctions for North Korea.
