She delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday
Rep. April McClain Delaney
Washington DC (KM) Sixth District Representative April McClain Delaney on Wednesday spoke in support of federal workers. During a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, McClain Delaney said she is “deeply troubled” by the Trump Administration’s and Elon Musk’s efforts to gain access to taxpayers personal information; and to slash federal programs and terminate thousands of federal workers.
“I’m even greater alarmed by the Trump Administration’s flagrant efforts to seek political retribution against federal agents for past investigations, including investigating the violence that occurred on January sixth,” she said.
McClain Delaney said many of these actions have not been authorized by Congress. “Do we defend American workers and our institutions; or gut the federal agencies of the knowledge that fuels American innovation and strengthens our national security,” she asked. “These attacks strike at the bedrock of our American values, and represent an unprecedented power grab.”
McClain Delaney says she has joined with several colleagues from Virginia, Maryland and other locations, along with members of several federal unions, including AFGE, AFSCME, Democracy Forward, NTEU, IFPTE, NARFE, NFFE and the AFL-CIO, to develop an action plan to defend federal workers at USAID, DOL, the Department of Education, NOAA and so many more agencies.
In some related developments, a federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump Administration’s plan to offer financial incentives to get federal workers to voluntarily resign. This came hours before the deadline for federal employees to accept or reject the financial incentives to quit. The order will remain in affect until after a court hearing on Monday.
Also on Thursday, another federal judge has ordered the US Department of Justice not to disclose information about FBI agents who fear they will be targeted because of their work on investigations involving President Trump, including the January sixth violence at the US Capitol. This will allow Judge Jia Cobb to hear arguments on Friday as whether to issue a temporary restraining order sought by unnamed FBI agents and the FBI Agents Association in a pair of cases filed earlier this week.
Finally, the Trump Administration has agreed to restrict access by the Department of Government Efficiency’s task force from access to US Department of the Treasury’s payment systems. This is in response to a lawsuit.
By Kevin McManus