State Department layoffs could begin Friday, reports say

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WASHINGTON, USA - DECEMBER 18 : The U.S. Department of State building is seen in Washington, DC, United States on December 18, 2019. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - The State Department could begin layoffs as early as this Friday, reports say. 

What we know:

CBS News reports that hundreds of D.C.-based employees could be facing a reduction in force. 

The cuts could be affected by a Supreme Court decision Friday that will determine whether leave in place a lower court's order that temporarily paused government-wide layoffs. The DOJ asked the Supreme Court to lift the injunction and allow it to move forward with planned layoffs. 

The American Foreign Service Association "urgently calls on the Department of State to comply with a federal court order that prohibits federal agencies from executing mass layoffs while litigation is ongoing."

By the numbers:

The RIF could impact over 2,000 staffers, including 700 foreign service officers based in D.C. 

The backstory:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the State Department as "bloated" and "bureaucratic." 

The State Department last month submitted a notification to Congress with aims to reduce its domestic workforce by up to 3,448 personnel. The reductions came with a July 1 deadline.