1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

The federal workforce plays a vital role in ensuring the proper functioning of government agencies that provide critical services to the American people. The mass layoffs of thousands of federal employees across agencies like FEMA, the IRS, CDC, Department of Defense, Department of Education, and others are deeply concerning and jeopardize the ability of these agencies to fulfill their important missions effectively. These dedicated civil servants should not be treated as expendable pawns in a misguided effort to cut costs. The decision to entrust unelected billionaire Elon Musk and his unaccountable DOGE team with implementing these sweeping workforce reductions raises troubling questions about government overreach and lack of proper oversight. It is apparent that many terminations were carried out in a reckless and vindictive manner, disregarding the expertise needed to manage areas like nuclear weapons and air travel safety. I urge you to take decisive action to halt these mass firings, protect federal workers from politically-motivated terminations, and restore the nonpartisan integrity of the civil service. Unchecked executive overreach threatens the foundational principles of our democracy and system of checks and balances. Congress must serve as a counterweight and safeguard the rights of federal employees to carry out their duties free from retaliation or undue influence from private interests. The American people deserve a fully-functioning government that prioritizes their wellbeing over the whims of the wealthy and powerful.