Congressional Democrats speak out against the buyout
Democratic members of Congress who represent Northern Virginia are speaking out against President Trump’s actions to cut the federal workforce and slash federal spending without congressional authorization.
In an open letter sent to his constituents on Feb. 6, Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th District), urges federal employees to proceed with caution in responding to Trump’s “offer of so-called deferred resignation from the federal civil service.”
“You can see what Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing,” Beyer says. “The hiring freeze, Schedule F, the mass firings, the cancellation of work arrangements and collective bargaining agreements, and the emails and statements insulting you and your work – all are designed to demoralize you, fill your workplace with chaos and fear, and get you to quit.”
A judge in Massachusetts temporarily paused the buyout program for federal workers in response to a lawsuit filed by unions. The new deadline is Monday, Feb. 10.
Trump can’t be trusted
To accept the buyout, “you must trust that Elon Musk and Donald Trump will keep their word,” Beyer says. “They both have extensive track records of dishonesty. Their emails are intentionally deceptive, and they are forcing you to make this choice on an arbitrarily rushed timeline – a longtime tactic of scammers and con artists. I do not trust them.”
“If you are concerned about your job security and think taking this offer is the lesser evil, there is no shame in that,” he says. “But you also know best what will happen if the vital services you provide are downsized, eliminated, or put in the hands of unqualified, inexperienced political flunkies.”
Calling the buyout offer a sham, Sen. Tim Kaine said, “the administration has no clear authority to offer this deal.”
Kaine also noted that the Trump administration added clauses to the deal “that allow the administration to cancel it at any time, leaving federal employees without pay.” Anyone who accepts the deal waives their rights to legal recourse.
“This is proof that Trump has no problem stiffing the American people – just like he has done before as a businessman and president,” Kaine said.
Federal workers demonized
Sen. Mark Warner, in a Feb. 6 letter to constituents promises to “speak out against President Trump’s unlawful actions, protect immigrants seeking a pathway to citizenship, and help build a business community where everyone has a fair shot at success.”
Warner has also been speaking out against Russell Vought, Trump’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 6.
“Vought is one of the key architects of Project 2025 and he has a terrifying track record of demonizing federal workers,” Warner said.
Related story: Virginia lawmakers respond to Trump’s plans to cut the federal workforce
Project 2025 lays out a plan to dismantle the federal workforce, and that is already underway. “We’re seeing vindictive orders eliminating telework, huge numbers of workers being put on administrative leave or even fired outright, and a reckless, legally dubious offer encouraging virtually all federal employees to resign in exchange for a severance payment.”
Based on Trump’s history of “stiffing the contractors at his construction business,” Warner said, “federal workers might not ever see the severance payments they were promised.”
“He’s doing everything he can to fill the federal workforce with right-wing loyalists who will do his bidding, and we can thank Vought for helping him hatch this plan,” Warner says.
Project 2025 well underway
“Donald Trump spent much of the campaign season running away from Project 2025,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (11th-District) said on MSNBC on Feb. 6. “In disavowal after disavowal, he lied to the American public about his support for the deeply unpopular agenda. Now, Project 2025 is no longer a policy document from which Republicans can run away. It has served as Trump’s playbook for his first weeks in the Oval Office.”
Connolly listed the steps in the Project 2025 “shock and awe playbook” being carried out by Trump:
- An illegal attempt to remove independent watchdogs from across the federal government in the dead of night.
- The unlawful freezing of all foreign aid and domestic federal assistance in direct contradiction of the laws passed by Congress.
- Hostile takeovers of agencies across the federal government.
- A purge of experts and career civil servants from the federal workforce so they can be replaced with partisan hacks and loyalists who will carry out the president’s most nefarious whims, no questions asked.
Whistleblowers encouraged
“Trump and his acolytes are flooding the zone with one outrageous plan after another in the hopes we will balk at the sheer size and scope of their efforts,” Connolly said. “But we will not relent now. This is the time for all of us who have chosen federal service to fight back. We cannot let these attacks on our democracy go unchallenged.”
House Democrats are demanding Trump comply with the law, are fighting back against Trump and Elon Musk’s “outrageous assault” on USAID, he said, and promoting legislation to “reverse the president’s attempt to politicize the civil service and replace thousands of experts with his own cronies.”
He says Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee are prepared to hear from whistleblowers throughout the federal government. “We will respect your confidentiality, protect your identity and use any identifying information you provide only to contact you about your concerns.”
Connolly says, “We will pressure the Republican majorities in both chambers to muster what little courage they have left to stand up to this would-be dictator in the White House.”
15 responses to “Congressional Democrats speak out against the buyout”
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Thank you, President Trump, for delivering on promises that got you elected, including firing these lazy grifting federal employees.
Julie, what exactly do you know about what these federal workers do that you consider a grift? Are you concerned at all that Elon Musk has access to the Treasury department when he is not a government employee, nor a citizen of this country. Stop drinking the maga kool-aid!
And didn’t Trump campaign on lowering the cost of groceries? What is his plan for that?
He has a concept of a plan.
Perhaps she is speaking first hand of her own experience grifting since she was a “former fed contractor”. While most of my professional career has been in the private sector I did spend some time in the public sector so I have worked with federal employees and find them to be very professional, trustworthy and very aware they work for everyone.
Delivering? Groceries, groceries, groceries. Fat boy promised to fix it on day one. Liar. Fat boy promised to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours”. Liar. America first, he said. Now Gaza is the new Riviera? Liar. All lies. All the time. Wake up! We are being fleeced by big government.
Excuse me. What an inappropriate and immature comment. If you have specifics you would like to share, let’s hear them. Lazy, grifting, I think you are referring to the felonious, misogynistic, rapist, con artist half of our country elected as President. That’s President, not king.
You realize these “lazy grifting federal employees” are your neighbors right? How is it helpful to any American (those who worship the Holy Orange or not) to lose their job??? I thought our economy was going to be fixed day one?
Typical Trump supporter caring for no one but themselves.
My vote is with Ms. Espinoza. Here is why: Time theft is fraud.
I’ve worked around and with these people (my neighbors as Mr/Ms Caren points out) for 35 years.
Most were guilty of time theft including myself.
I didn’t like that feeling so I quit some years ago.
The federal contractors need to be investigated as well. I’ve watched in awe and disgust as many of my self-righteous neighbors have enriched themselves by bidding on, and winning, work that wasn’t needed – for which they were eminently unqualified.
Ever seen the movie War Dogs? Pretty accurate. Telework is more productive? Spare me.
Commenters should at least attempt to be A LITTLE intellectually honest.
If you have multiple W2s that you’re not supposed to have because you are a fed, that’s potentially big trouble.
Stop making me laugh. You’re next Scooter.
I usually don’t respond to subjects concerning, religion, politics or dogs but, I got to know. Were there any republicans, Christians or independents laid off/furloughed/fired? It doesn’t matter how you identify politically, we’re ALL in this salad. I don’t suppose there aren’t any ‘dishonest’ federal contractors & a few first families who haven’t fleeced the government for decades.
If you, your family or friends work city, county, state or federal jobs; they are GOVERNMENT, that includes the president to garbagemen. Try living without them for long… the garbagemen.
I get you have to be mad at somebody. How about that non-government employee who makes BILLIONS of dollars off of our tax money but pays none. The ultimate conflict of interest. Citizenship questionable. He has been given carte blanch over our ENTIRE government (your) financial records from how the money’s made, who made it, when you get it & how much. This same tax money distributed to cities & counties pays for much of our health, medical, transportation, roads education, senior & veteran’s services, if there will be any/enough distribution. No worries, crypto will solve your problems. Or you could move to one of our 51sr states! Eggs too high? Well, bird flu is the biggest driver$$, so I’ll be kind. It’s been 20 days, don’t you feel safer, more secure, no more worries? Hang in there there’s 3 yrs and 11 months to go, if y’all don’t make him king, for life! You better hope those Dems or the courts or maybe a couple of republicans who want their soul & country back, can save us from the craziness of watching a free nation devolve into an autocracy. But they better move faster, the richest man in the world wants a country. Hmmm
To answer your question, I feel so much more safe and secure, no worries, and the news every day makes me positively gleeful. This is the same for everyone with whom I associate. Walkin’ on sunshine.
Enjoy your obliviousness. You will get screwed over sooner or later, not that you’d ever admit it to yourself.
That’s fine. Just don’t start whining and crying when the stuff hits the fan. I don’t wanna hear it. You are included in the group known to Trump as “the problem” and you will be tossed out like garbage when he has sucked the life out of you and that’s left are dry bones. Have a nice life with you head in the sand.
Musk is an old time Apartheid supporter. You don’t get any more racist than that. The people at the top are dangerous.
What will the ex federal employees no do for health insurance? Beware of a pig in a poke!