Democrats bringing fired federal workers to Trump speech
Congressional Democrats are lining up to bring fired federal workers to President Trump’s high-profile speech before Congress on Tuesday night.
The Democrats have hammered Trump for the blitz of firings that have accompanied his return to the White House — a campaign being led by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — accusing the president of dismantling the very institutions that make the country run.
To broadcast that opposition, many lawmakers have invited former federal employees who were laid off in recent weeks to be in the House chamber for Trump’s first major speech since his return to power. The idea is to showcase the human effects of Trump’s firing spree all across the country. With that in mind, the list of attendees extends far beyond the Washington-metro region.
In north Illinois, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) has invited Adam Mulvey, an Army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who was fired last month from a federal health center in Chicago.
In the Bronx, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) will attend with Nancy Bolan, another federal health worker who was fired in January from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
From coastal California, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) is bringing Ben Vizzachero, a U.S. Forest Service employee who was recently terminated from his job at the Los Padres National Forest.
In Queens, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) has invited Luke Graziani, an Army veteran who served two tours each in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was let go last month after working for almost a year at a veterans health facility in the Bronx.
In Arizona, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will accompany Kyle Rahn, a disabled Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq before his move to the Department of Homeland Security, where he served as a national security specialist. Rahn was fired last month by email.
The list goes on.
While the immediate effect of the Democrats’ strategy is highly limited — the invitees are not high-profile figures, so Trump won’t recognize them as he delivers his speech — the lawmakers are hoping their participation will bring attention not only to the administration’s government-gutting efforts, but the elimination of the federal services those workers once provided.
“These terminations jeopardize those services, put our communities at risk, and have a very real impact on the lives of dedicated public servants,” Panetta said.
-
Democrats Invite Fired Federal Workers to Trump’s Congressional Address
The move comes as lawmakers hear from constituents over President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal spending and cull the civil service ranks.The New York Times - 19h -
Inside Trump’s federal worker firings
President Trump’s widespread firings of federal employees has reached every level of government, but critics say his selection of whom to axe is hardly arbitrary. In just a few weeks on the job, ...The Hill - 11h -
Trump administration can continue mass firings of federal workers, judge rules
US judge rejects bid by group of labor unions to halt president’s government overhaul through Musk-led ‘Doge’. The Trump administration can for now continue its mass firings of federal employees, ...The Guardian - Feb. 20 -
‘A pulse check’: Musk and Trump defend email threatening firing of federal workers
Elon Musk called an email instructing government employees to describe recent accomplishments a “pulse check,” and alleged that paychecks for federal workers may have been going to dead or ...NBC News - 5d -
Local leaders working to help fired federal workers
Widespread layoffs across federal agencies left thousands without jobs. Now, some local leaders are stepping in to try to help. CBS News correspondent Natalie Brand has more.CBS News - 4d -
Governors to fired federal workers: We're hiring
A growing number of governors, mostly Democrats, have begun to recruit federal workers impacted by DOGE's efforts for public and private sector jobs in their statesNBC News - 4d -
From weather apps to taxes: the trickle-down effects of Trump’s federal worker firings
Gutting of workforce will have far-reaching consequences as advocates warn of playing ‘Russian roulette’ with safety. You wake up to dark clouds outside, so you check the weather on your phone: a ...The Guardian - Feb. 20 -
Federal worker fired by Trump administration talks about losing her dream job amid major cuts
Katie Sandlin thought she landed her dream job at the NIH as an educator. She spent her life savings to move from Alabama to just outside Washington, D.C. After only a few weeks on the job, she was ...CBS News - Feb. 21 -
Judge orders Trump admin to rescind memo directing mass firing of federal workers
The order by Judge William Alsup, who called the OPM directive "illegal," does not reinstate any recently dismissed government employees, but it could affect future attempts at firings.NBC News - 3d
More from The Hill
-
Pope had 2 'acute respiratory failure' episodes: Vatican
Pope Francis suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency" on Monday, according to a statement from the Vatican, as the Catholic Church leader continues to fight pneumonia. “Today, the ...The Hill - 45m -
GOP senator on Ocasio-Cortez: 'Sure seemed like she's violating the law'
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said on Monday that it “sure seemed” as though Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) violated the law when she hosted a webinar to inform immigrants of their rights in ...The Hill - 47m -
Jeffries pushes back on Trump 'troublemakers' post: 'We don’t need paid protesters, bro'
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday pushed back on President Trump's claim that the outcry congressional Republicans have faced at recent town halls has come from paid ...The Hill - 54m -
46 percent of voters see no clear winner in Trump-Zelensky meeting: Poll
Forty-six percent of surveyed American voters said that neither the U.S. nor Ukraine walked away as a winner from last week’s tumultuous meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President ...The Hill - 1h -
GOP rep introduces measure putting Trump's face on $100 bill
First-term GOP Rep. Brandon Gill (Texas) has introduced a measure that would require all $100 bills to have President Trump’s face on them. The legislation, titled the Golden Age Act of 2025, ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Canada will respond to Trump tariffs ‘like they’ve never seen before,’ says Ontario premier
President Trump dashed hopes for a last-minute deal that would avoid 25% tariffs being imposed on Canada and Mexico. Ontario Premier Doug Ford discusses what actions Canada may be willing to take ...NBC News - 25m -
Melania Trump advocates for 'Take It Down Act' on Capitol Hill
First lady Melania Trump spoke at a Capitol Hill roundtable pushing for the passage of the "Take It Down Act," a bill designed to require social media platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate ...NBC News - 34m -
Russian officials say normalization with U.S. could happen 'quickly' amid Trump-Zelenskyy rift
NBC News Correspondents Vaughn Hillyard, Keir Simmons and Courtney Kube discuss Russia's reaction to President Trump and President Zelenskyy's Oval Office clash. New York Times opinion columnist ...NBC News - 41m -
Pope had 2 'acute respiratory failure' episodes: Vatican
Pope Francis suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency" on Monday, according to a statement from the Vatican, as the Catholic Church leader continues to fight pneumonia. “Today, the ...The Hill - 45m -
GOP senator on Ocasio-Cortez: 'Sure seemed like she's violating the law'
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said on Monday that it “sure seemed” as though Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) violated the law when she hosted a webinar to inform immigrants of their rights in ...The Hill - 47m