BoS urges Youngkin to oppose Trump’s attacks on federal workers

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on March 4 approved a letter to Gov. Youngkin urging him to step up for Virginians affected by the Trump administration’s actions to slash the size of the federal government.

“We urge the governor to take action to prevent further attacks on Virginia’s federal workers and private sector contractors,” says Board Chair Jeffrey McKay.

The letter expresses the board’s “deep concern over the proposed relocation of federal agencies from the National Capital Region, a move that would have devastating consequences for Virginia’s economy, workforce, and the ability of federal agencies to efficiently and effectively carry out their missions.”

There are more than 175,000 federal employees in Northern Virginia. Federal agencies occupy 20 million square feet of space in Fairfax County, half of which is leased.

Related story: Virginia lawmakers respond to Trump’s plans to cut the federal workforce

Relocating federal agencies from the region would not only affect those workers, but also the “private sector contractors who are the backbone of our economy,” the letter states. Federal government contract investments in Virginia exceed $108 billion, including $41 billion in Fairfax County in FY 2024.

“These investments fuel our local economies, sustain small businesses, and provide critical employment opportunities across the commonwealth,” the letter says. “The planned relocation of federal agencies would not only weaken the lives of thousands of Virginia residents but also weaken the agencies themselves by stripping them of the institutional knowledge and expertise concentrated in this region.”

“Fairfax County is doing all we can to support our impacted residents,” the board letter states. In contrast, Youngkin’s statements – “telling people they are getting what America voted for, that downsizing isn’t wrong, calling the process painful but necessary – are doing harm to our shared constituents.”

The letter urges Youngkin to call on Trump “to halt these reckless relocations and to stand with Virginia’s workforce in protecting the economic stability of our region.” It urges Youngkin to “tell the president that he is wrong, as past governors have done when Virginia’s economy is threatened.”

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The letter invites Youngkin to brief the Board of Supervisors on his efforts “to support Virginians as they face this unprecedented assault.”

“If our Fairfax economy stumbles because of this, the state will stumble worse,” says McKay. “When that happens, people across Virginia will feel the direct impacts of a weakened Northern Virginia economy.”

On March 11, the board’s Economic Initiatives Committee will hear from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and other public and private sector representatives on the potential impact of the federal government’s actions.