Secretary of State

Marco Rubio

is considering considerably reducing the size of

National Security Council

, leveraging his roles for

implement the president’s wishes

Regarding how security choices are determined, as per insiders familiar with the situation.

Speaking to

NBC News

The officials stated that reducing the workforce at the council aims to align its decisions more closely with those of President Donald Trump. Rather than a sizable team providing policy suggestions to the president, the approach will become more hierarchical, with instructions coming directly from the council down.

execute the president’s instructions

The council comprises cabinet officials and military personnel who offer counsel to the president concerning security issues.

In January, the council employed 300 staff members. Following his inauguration, President Trump reduced this number by half, with anticipated additional cuts potentially decreasing it even more, possibly down to just 50 or 60 employees. According to reports from unnamed sources cited by NBC News, definitive choices regarding these reductions have not yet been finalized.

As per the officials, Rubio—who is engaged in

his additional role

as

Trump’s

The national security advisor — instead of dismissing employees — plans to reallocate them to different governmental organizations.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to confirm in a statement to NBC News that at least some changes were coming to the National Security Council under Rubio’s watch.

“Secretary Rubio is doing an incredible job serving as both Secretary of State and White House National Security Advisor,” she said. “Under his leadership at the White House, the NSC team will be streamlined to ensure maximum efficiency and coordination with outside agencies.”

The number of workers on the council has changed over the years, shifting from one administration to the next. During the presidency of John F. Kennedy, the council only had 20 employees. By 1991, there were 40. By the year 2000, the council had approximately 100 staffers, and that grew to 370 by the end of the decade as the War on Terror raged.

The growth of the National Security Council was troubling to some members of Congress, including the late Arizona Senator John McCain, who tried to limit its size. In 2016 that effort was realized when Congress put a limit to the number of policy-focused positions at the council to 200.

Rubio has reportedly also discussed moving some of the council’s responsibilities to other agencies, including the CIA and the U.S. State Department, according to the sources.

The downsizing plans come after Trump fired some council members in April, just one day after he met with conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who had previously questioned if “disloyal” people were working inside Trump’s administration.

Rubio took over the national security adviser role from Mike Waltz, who Trump removed in the wake of his much publicized Signal scandal. Waltz was reassigned as the nation’s next ambassador to the United Nations. Rubio will stay in the position for at least six months, according to Trump.

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