Spanberger Reacts to Planned Purge of Federal Employees by Trump Administration Loyalists: “Deliberate Display of Contempt for Career Public Servants”

On Friday, News Outlets Reported that Right-Wing Organizations Want to Bring Back Former President Trump’s Controversial “Schedule F” Order in the Event of His Return to the Oval Office

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger — a former federal employee — today released the following statement in the wake of new reports that partisan operatives, public policy organizations, and think tanks are preparing to put the careers of as many as 50,000 federal employees on the chopping block, should former President Donald Trump or other Republicans willing to decimate the federal workforce enter the White House.

“The reckless Schedule F order should never be resurrected from the trash heap of terrible ideas. I am extremely disturbed by these recent reports, which outline an ongoing campaign to gut staffing levels, ignore expertise, and dramatically reduce morale within our government agencies. This slash-and-burn strategy is a deliberate display of contempt for career public servants, expertise, and the very functioning of our federal government.

“For four years, federal employees were subject to the Trump Administration’s personal attacks, hiring freezes, furloughs, and other morale-sapping indignities. The federal workforce is comprised of professionals with an array of skillsets — including scientists, attorneys, diplomats, accountants, subject matter experts, and law enforcement officers — and they spend each day serving our country. Their work keeps us safe, improves our country’s health, and grows our economy. Their experience and expertise is honed year after year, regardless of the president or party in the White House.

“And yet, partisan hacks intent on undermining the functioning of our government are once again planning additional ways to chip away and destroy the expertise and strength of the federal workforce. As a former federal employee and a Representative of thousands of current federal employees, I will be relentless in fighting back against these efforts.”

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Earlier this month, Spanberger voted in support of an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would block future administrations from bringing back Schedule F. The amendment was led by fellow Virginian U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11). The amendment was passed in the U.S. House by a vote of 215 to 201.

Spanberger is also a cosponsor of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, which would guarantee federal employees a 5.1 percent raise in 2023.

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