Urgent Senate Update: How We're Fighting Back
Normally, I do not send out these newsletters in rapid succession, but these are not normal times. So I wanted to give you a quick update to the information I sent in my January 29th letter about what we are doing to fight back against the Trump Administration’s unprecedented assault on the federal workforce and the institutions of government.
But before we get into the chaos of the Trump Administration, I want to address the tragic aircraft collision that took place at Reagan National Airport, where 67 lives were lost, including three servicemembers. We now know that we lost at least nine Marylanders in this tragic accident. My heart breaks for all the victims and their families, loved ones, and friends. I am grateful to the first responders, including the many Maryland emergency teams who rushed to the site of the accident. We must ensure that the NTSB conducts a full investigation into the crash to determine what went wrong and why. This process should not be politicized; our nation should come together to grieve and support the families impacted. Instead, on Thursday afternoon, while first responders were still undertaking recovery efforts, Donald Trump gave a press conference at the White House where he concocted baseless theories and engaged in political finger-pointing. It was an appalling performance, and he owes the country an apology.
Meanwhile, the Trump-Vance administration is taking a series of actions that constitute an attack on our Constitution, our federal workforce, our communities, and working families. Earlier this week, I took to the Senate floor to condemn their illegal power grab. You can view those remarks here.
Donald Trump’s current plan to seize total control of the government has two main parts: freezing federal spending and replacing over 50,000 federal employees with his cronies. That’s why he tried to illegally halt vital federal investments in our communities, and why he’s attempting to hollow out our federal workforce by trying to reclassify federal workers as “Schedule F.” I also want to warn federal employees about the so-called “buyout” proposed by the Trump Administration. The notice sent to federal employees had the telltale fingerprints of Elon Musk – some of the language in the notice was even identical to notices Musk has sent to his employees – and it is not clear that Trump-Musk have a legal basis for the action they took. Given Trump’s long record of reneging on commitments he has made, I urge federal employees who may be considering the offer to exercise extreme caution.
So how are we fighting back?
The framers of the Constitution had a plan for this: creating a system of checks and balances with three branches of government. The fact of the matter is, the White House is now in the hands of a man who does not respect the Constitution and seeks to grab more power. I, along with my Democratic colleagues in Congress, will use every power we have to try to block President Trump’s attacks on merit-based federal employees and his attempts to block already-enacted federal initiatives. Sadly, however, Republicans in the Senate and House, who now hold the majorities in both chambers, have been unwilling to join us in standing up to Trump’s actions. Fortunately, we can still fight back in the courts — and we are working with both national organizations and State Attorneys General to do so.
On Tuesday, just hours away from losing their federal funding, a coalition of national nonprofits sued President Trump to stop the illegal withholding. A federal judge ordered an emergency stay through Monday, preventing the Trump funding freeze from going into effect, and another hearing to consider a more permanent decision will be held Monday. The attorneys general of 22 states and the District of Columbia have also filed a lawsuit, and a District Court Judge imposed a Temporary Restraining Order on the funding freeze on Friday evening. As a result of the public outcry and the lawsuits, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget rescinded their guidance. But that does not mean they have given up. The underlying Executive Orders remain, and the lawsuits are still pending. The legal battles are complicated and fast-moving, but we are doing everything we can to reinforce them.
On Wednesday, two unions who represent our government workers, the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, filed a lawsuit to stop Schedule F—adding to the previously filed lawsuit by the National Treasury Employees Union and other independent groups. We are in close and regular contact with the parties bringing these lawsuits and are doing everything we can to support their efforts. As I said in my Senate Floor remarks, I will do everything in my power to protect merit-based positions from being replaced with spots for political cronyism.
But this struggle won’t be won only by lawyers alone: we need to continue standing up and speaking out. President Trump is trying to overwhelm us by flooding the zone and attacking many institutions at once. We must and we will confront these reckless actions at every juncture.
I believe that all of these actions by Trump and the MAGA Republicans ultimately have one goal: enriching themselves and their friends at the expense of the rest of our country. That is why Trump gave the most coveted seats at his inauguration to the billionaire tech titans. President Trump wants to enact huge tax cuts for the super-wealthy and the biggest corporations while slashing critical programs like Medicaid, food and nutrition programs (SNAP), and other measures that help working families and individuals. And he wants to pave the way for that by replacing merit-based government employees with political cronies and removing government watchdogs like the Inspectors General he illegally fired. That will do nothing to make the government more efficient; it will open the door to rampant corruption.
We must use all of our powers to stop these actions. People power is a key part of that effort, and I want to thank you for your help in this fight. We received over 2,000 responses to my earlier newsletter's request for stories about the harm being inflicted by Trump Administration policies. Your responses help us monitor and respond to the damage being done. If you or someone you know has experienced the impacts of Trump’s actions, share your story here. You are our eyes and ears: your story will help us fight back.
Please stay informed and remain vigilant. These are trying times that are testing the very foundations of our democracy and the strength of our Constitution. I have confidence that we will overcome these assaults, but only if we stand together.
Best,
Chris Van Hollen |