Urgent Senate Update: Standing Up for our Federal Workers & Critical Community Investments
In the week since Donald Trump’s inauguration, he has issued a flurry of dangerous executive orders to remake our nation in his image. He pardoned the rioters who bloodied and bludgeoned police officers on January 6th, rolled back initiatives to lower drug prices, commenced an all-out attack on our federal workforce, and most recently announced an attempt to illegally withhold federal grant funds from local communities. This chaotic first week focused on targeting critical services people depend on, not helping the American people.
As President Trump levies these attacks on our federal workforce and important federal investments, I want to hear from you on what impact these actions are having on priorities in your community. Hearing your stories will help us fight back – share with us here.
On Monday night, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget demanded agencies “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” In other words, they threatened to cancel critical resources directed to our communities. In response to a massive public outcry, the Administration seems to have backed down and rescinded this memo on Wednesday afternoon. But we’re by no means in the clear.
This scope of the order was both broad and ambiguous – meaning it would have impacted everything from the support we provide our firefighters and first responders, to assistance to victims of domestic violence, to efforts to remove lead from our water, to initiatives to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. That’s just a few of the many harmful local impacts we would have seen.
Make no mistake – the Trump Administration’s attempt to withhold and threaten to cancel these funds is an illegal abuse of power. The president cannot suspend funding that has been duly approved by the Congress and enacted into law without Congressional approval. That blatantly defies Article I of the Constitution and the checks and balances built into our constitutional framework. The president does not have the power to cherry-pick from the law and implement the provisions he likes while discarding those he doesn’t.
While the Administration may no longer be pushing the requirements under the OMB memo, many critical investments remain frozen through Trump’s executive orders. And while the extent of these orders isn’t clear, what is absolutely clear is that they are sowing chaos and confusion. These actions are hurting our nation – and they aren’t doing anything to improve government efficiency and tackle rising costs. We must remain vigilant and continue to call out the abuses of this Administration everywhere we see them.
Trump is not only going after the federal funding that supports critical public services – he’s also going after the federal civil servants who help deliver those services to the American people day in and day out. Trump has taken every opportunity to attack our federal workforce throughout the country and across Maryland – with his words and executive orders. Most disturbing is his so-called “Schedule F” plan to convert over 50,000 merit-based civil service positions into political positions and his dubious offer of “buy-outs” to encourage experienced employees to resign. This will destroy our merit-based civil service system and replace it with one based on political cronyism. It means that rather than hiring individuals based on their qualifications, experience, and knowledge, they will be selected based on a political loyalty test. This isn’t just bad news for federal workers, it’s bad news for every American who depends on their work. Americans don’t want political hacks making decisions regarding food safety, public health, and more. They don’t want these critical positions to be filled based on political loyalty rather than merit. Donald Trump’s action will destroy in the next few months what it took America over a century to build: a merit-based civil service that hires the best people to do their jobs. This will open the door to widespread corruption. And, to make matters worse, President Trump has already illegally fired Inspectors General whose job it is to blow the whistle on fraud, waste, and abuse. That way, there will be no one to hold him and the political cronies installed in these agencies accountable.
Since these actions were announced, I’ve heard from constituents across Maryland alarmed by their impacts and trying to figure out the extent of the damage. They are facing uncertainty and confusion. With MAGA Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, our best recourse in the short term will be in the courts. We have already seen lawsuits filed by the National Treasury Employees Union, the American Federation of Government Employees, the AFSCME, and others. I wholeheartedly back the legal efforts these unions, states, and others are undertaking, and I will do all I can to support them. And every day, I will continue working to shine a light on the harm this Administration is already inflicting on the country and, wherever I can, to stop it.
Onwards,
Chris Van Hollen |