Fired federal workers share their stories
Fired federal workers have been sharing their stories at a roundtable hosted by Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw and at a rally protesting the cuts at USAID.
Participants at the July 31 roundtable ranged from young professionals just starting their public service careers to veteran civil servants nearing retirement. All have lost their livelihood due to the DOGE effort to destroy the non-partisan civil service.
Lives disrupted
“These stories were emotional, raw, and deeply moving,” said Walkinshaw, a Democrat running for Congress in Virginia’s 11th District. “I learned a lot from hearing their stories and am committed to continuing to engage with federal workers and contractors impacted by the reckless actions of the Trump Administration.”
Kourtney P. of Fairfax spoke about how she was terminated after a 25-year career as an implementing partner in the international democracy sector at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“Not only is this devastating to us as workers and what it means for the services that we can provide to Americans, but this is having a harmful and negative impact on America’s reputation abroad,” she said.
Related story: Walkinshaw and Whitson clash over DOGE
Until recently, there were more than 80,000 federal workers in Fairfax County. But now, the county is facing its highest unemployment rate since mid-2021.
“Behind every statistic is a Fairfax family thrown into uncertainty by costly, unnecessary firings,” Walkinshaw said. “These aren’t just numbers. They’re public servants who have dedicated their lives and talents to serving our nation.”
One former federal worker told Walkinshaw she is considering moving to another country, possibly Canada, FFXnow reports. “I’m trying to find a full-time job, but I’m an ocean climate scientist, and there aren’t a lot of slots for that,” she said.
Other participants spoke about the difficulty of landing another job due to the increased competition or the lack of official paperwork.
“I have still not received my termination notice,” one woman is quoted in the FFXnow article. “I was supposedly terminated on May 8. However, I never received any legal documentation, and I have been emailing my agency for the past two and a half months to obtain this paperwork.”
A downward spiral
A 20-year veteran at USAID shared his story at a rally protesting the cuts to foreign aid organized by the Alliance 4 American Leadership. The rally was held outside the Reston Community Center on July 28 before the debate between Walkinshaw and his Republican opponent, Stewart Whitson. The candidates clashed over DOGE, with Whitson wanting to make it permanent and Walkinshaw calling for it to be abolished.
The former federal worker, whom we’ll call T.R., hasn’t been able to work since February, “when they kicked us out of the building.” He was officially fired on July 1.
At his most recent position, T.R. was responsible for ensuring the agency’s work is cost-effective. When President Trump established DOGE, “I thought this isn’t so bad. They want more efficiency.”
Instead, he said, “This will create a backlash against the United States. We’re losing our standing and influence abroad. The U.S. has lost its respect for human rights.”
T.R. is looking for a job. Meanwhile, he’s concerned about making mortgage payments and paying the expenses for a daughter in college. He’s okay for the time being, as his wife is still working and “we’ve been pretty conservative with our money. I’m driving a 17-year-old car.”
Related story: Federal job cuts will devastate the Fairfax County economy
He tried to appeal his RIF notice to the Merit Systems Protection Board but was told he doesn’t have standing. He’s exploring other options, although he says lawyer fees start at about $3,600. Meanwhile, he’s going to have to buy health insurance, as his government health benefits run out 30 days after he was fired.
The job market and the political climate are so bad that T.R. is seriously considering moving his family to France or Spain and has begun researching schools for his elementary school-age daughter.
The U.S. is “descending into authoritarianism,” he said, but “outside of D.C., no one cares about what’s going on.” Beyond his personal situation, T.R. is concerned about how the cuts to USAID are affecting the image of the U.S. abroad. Those who were helped “know exactly who abandoned them and why. We’re becoming like China.”
DOGE under fire
If elected to Congress, Walkinshaw said he would cosponsor and introduce legislation to defund DOGE, rehire illegally fired probationary employees, and require congressional approval for federal agency downsizing.
Specifically, he would support the “MERIT Act,” which would reinstate recently terminated federal employees, and the “Delete DOGE Act,” which would essentially prohibit federal funding for DOGE activities.
Walkinshaw said he doesn’t expect Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to bring any of these bills to the floor for a vote.
“But I do think it is really important that we raise these issues and highlight them and take them to the American people,” he said. “It’s also important to be prepared so that in January 2027, if there’s a change in control of Congress, we can pass this legislation.”
What “patriots” these federal workers are. They get laid off and race to renounce their citizenship to go to Canada, Spain, France. I feel sorry for people who have lost their jobs. I say good riddance to those who are quick to renounce their citizenship.
As a Federal Government employee, I print and download my personal personnel file annually (EOPF). Typically in January, so I have a copy. Recommend every federal government employee do that, & if you don’t have it – get it. DOGE did the “fork” 1 & 2; unusually generous incentives to self separate, but not options many people wanted – each person had to make up their own choice and do so with a perspective on the direction that the President said he wanted in the campaign and that many in Congress have long sought. The DOGE group has also informed agencies on options, but is largely out of this reduction process now. Current agencies leaders are now working on reducing staff through normal procedures like RIFs and reassignments to places where reduced staff are expected to happen with Congressional OK. USAID is somewhat unique in that many political leaders have wanted to reduce it and combine the remnants into the State Department; if not outright eliminate it. Congress has mostly done the elimination now, so DOGE actions may have been faster at first but now it doesn’t matter as it would be gone anyway. VA released more via the “forks” so they are not going to do more. Pick your agency and now it’s a more thought out (but often still very short sighted) process – plus it does vary by agency. Make no mistake, more reductions are coming but with Congress’ approval. If elected, the positions and bills Walkinshaw is pushing will not be enacted at all. As he will be either in the Minority in the US House or if the House flips will still not get through the Senate (which is unlikely to flip) nor be signed by the President. Finding a compromise (which is really hard and most likely unsatisfying) is a smart move to minimize damage. Most importantly is for the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to do 2 things. First, get serious and cut costs and programs (yes it will hurt and be unpopular), as the county is not going to have the money. Second, change its regulations to be friendly to small / medium sized businesses (currently is biased towards big business); which will enable folks to make their own way to a productive new career while helping the county get over this mess. All of this is not going to stop any time soon. Running away never solved anything, rather think on options and if you have to go overseas ok (just know the perspective on reducing government is spreading to other countries too).
Yes, I remember when coal miners who lost their jobs because of the pressing need to end the use of fossil fuels and to achieve “Net Zero” were told they need to “Learn to Code.”
Is there any wonder why, as one terminated federal worker quoted in the article above observes “outside of D.C., no one cares about what’s going on”?
Not quite the same as the DOGE situation. Coal workers mainly lost their jobs in recent decades because natural gas (a different fossil fuel) was much cheaper. Before that, mining was becoming increasingly mechanized and fewer workers were needed. There were at least some efforts to provide re-training throughout all this. Some people took advantage of the opportunity, others clung.