The National Security Agency is expected to eliminate up to 2,000 civilian jobs as the Trump administration continues its effort to reduce the sprawl of the federal bureaucracy by making across-the-board cuts throughout the government, according to The Record.
Citing three people familiar with the plan, the news outlet reported Tuesday that the world's largest electronic spy agency has been directed to shrink its civilian workforce by 8%, with targeted positions reportedly including everything from administrative staff to cybersecurity operatives.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 positions are slated for termination, according to The Record's sources.
The NSA is set to make the cuts by the end of the year, but that deadline could change, one source said, as it is part of the Defense Department's overarching goal to trim its budget by 8% each year for the next five years.
The source reportedly suggested that the civilian workforce reduction will eventually be enforced at every "combat support agency," including the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
The Washington Post reported last week that the CIA is planning to cut 1,200 jobs over several years, mainly through reduced hiring and early retirements. The reductions reportedly represent approximately 5% of the agency's total workforce. No firings are reportedly anticipated.
"These sweeping, reckless cuts of experienced intelligence personnel by the Trump administration will undoubtedly undermine our ability to detect and respond to threats and make America less safe," Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told the Post.
In February, the NSA began offering employees a couple options to leave their positions early as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's "Fork in the Road" initiative to condense the federal government, according to The Record.
Similar to the CIA's plans, one source said that the NSA is focusing on senior personnel who might be nearing the end of careers, rather than making cuts through mass firings. Drawing down the agency's size through buyouts is also a way to retain more recent hires and position the agency for the future, the source said.
Another source told The Record that rumor has it that about 100 members of the NSA's senior executive service are retiring or resigning to take advantage of buyout offers.
Newsmax reached out to the NSA for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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