January 29, 2025

In the week since Donald Trump’s inauguration, he has issued a flurry of dangerous executive orders to remake our nation in his image. He pardoned the rioters who bloodied and bludgeoned police officers on January 6th, rolled back initiatives to lower drug prices, commenced an all-out attack on our federal workforce, and most recently announced an attempt to illegally withhold federal grant funds from local communities. This chaotic first week focused on targeting critical services people depend on, not helping the American people.

As President Trump levies these attacks on our federal workforce and important federal investments, I want to hear from you on what impact these actions are having on priorities in your community. Hearing your stories will help us fight back – share with us here.

On Monday night, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget demanded agencies “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” In other words, they threatened to cancel critical resources directed to our communities. In response to a massive public outcry, the Administration seems to have backed down and rescinded this memo on Wednesday afternoon. But we’re by no means in the clear.

This scope of the order was both broad and ambiguous – meaning it would have impacted everything from the support we provide our firefighters and first responders, to assistance to victims of domestic violence, to efforts to remove lead from our water, to initiatives to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. That’s just a few of the many harmful local impacts we would have seen.

Make no mistake – the Trump Administration’s attempt to withhold and threaten to cancel these funds is an illegal abuse of power. The president cannot suspend funding that has been duly approved by the Congress and enacted into law without Congressional approval. That blatantly defies Article I of the Constitution and the checks and balances built into our constitutional framework. The president does not have the power to cherry-pick from the law and implement the provisions he likes while discarding those he doesn’t.

While the Administration may no longer be pushing the requirements under the OMB memo, many critical investments remain frozen through Trump’s executive orders. And while the extent of these orders isn’t clear, what is absolutely clear is that they are sowing chaos and confusion. These actions are hurting our nation – and they aren’t doing anything to improve government efficiency and tackle rising costs. We must remain vigilant and continue to call out the abuses of this Administration everywhere we see them.

Trump is not only going after the federal funding that supports critical public services – he’s also going after the federal civil servants who help deliver those services to the American people day in and day out. Trump has taken every opportunity to attack our federal workforce throughout the country and across Maryland – with his words and executive orders. Most disturbing is his so-called “Schedule F” plan to convert over 50,000 merit-based civil service positions into political positions and his dubious offer of “buy-outs” to encourage experienced employees to resign. This will destroy our merit-based civil service system and replace it with one based on political cronyism. It means that rather than hiring individuals based on their qualifications, experience, and knowledge, they will be selected based on a political loyalty test. This isn’t just bad news for federal workers, it’s bad news for every American who depends on their work. Americans don’t want political hacks making decisions regarding food safety, public health, and more. They don’t want these critical positions to be filled based on political loyalty rather than merit. Donald Trump’s action will destroy in the next few months what it took America over a century to build: a merit-based civil service that hires the best people to do their jobs. This will open the door to widespread corruption. And, to make matters worse, President Trump has already illegally fired Inspectors General whose job it is to blow the whistle on fraud, waste, and abuse. That way, there will be no one to hold him and the political cronies installed in these agencies accountable. 

Since these actions were announced, I’ve heard from constituents across Maryland alarmed by their impacts and trying to figure out the extent of the damage. They are facing uncertainty and confusion. With MAGA Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, our best recourse in the short term will be in the courts. We have already seen lawsuits filed by the National Treasury Employees Union, the American Federation of Government Employees, the AFSCME, and others. I wholeheartedly back the legal efforts these unions, states, and others are undertaking, and I will do all I can to support them. And every day, I will continue working to shine a light on the harm this Administration is already inflicting on the country and, wherever I can, to stop it.

Onwards,

Chris Van Hollen

WASHINGTON – An executive order to convert federal nonpartisan career jobs into political favors for loyalists is unlawful and undermines the nation’s merit-based civil service, according to a lawsuit filed late Monday by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

“Reclassifying large numbers of employees … with the intent of making them at-will employees is contrary to Congress’s intent in establishing broad protections for most federal employees,” the lawsuit states.

No administration should be allowed to take away basic due process rights from career public servants who earned their jobs based on their professional qualifications and replace them with political appointees. A similar order in 2020 was never fully implemented. 

Under the order, agency leadership would be instructed to identify which jobs to place into a new category, and in the process, make them easier to be fired arbitrarily.

“The American people deserve to have day-to-day government services in the hands of qualified professionals who are committed to public service and stay on the job regardless of which political party holds the White House,” said NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald. “Yesterday’s Executive Order is a dangerous step backward to a political spoils system that Congress expressly rejected 142 years ago, which is why we are suing to have the order declared unlawful.”

NTEU’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the order wrongly applies employment rules for political appointees to career staff; deprives federal employees of due process rights that they were promised when they were hired; and ignores Office of Personnel Management regulations.

 “The employees we represent staff the federal agencies that secure the nation, safeguard the public health, promote economic growth and protect consumers from fraud. Their jobs require training and expertise in their chosen field so as to provide the best possible service to all Americans, not passing a political loyalty test,” Greenwald said. “Once again, NTEU is ready to defend federal employees who chose a career in public service and took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution.”

NTEU petitioned the Office of Personnel Management for additional safeguards for employees in the event of an executive action like this and those regulations became final in May 2024.

NTEU represents about 150,000 employees in 37 federal agencies and departments.

Write to Your Representive https://www.nteu.org/takeaction/nteuaction

As a federal employee that lives in your district, I am writing to ask you to support America's federal employees by speaking out against threats against employees, protecting the non-partisan civil service and ensuring that employees have a voice in their workplace. 

Federal employees are essential to delivering important services to the American public. We live and work in every state and district across the country and are proud to keep our federal agencies running and ready for business.  

However, there continues to be a barrage of proposals to undermine the civil service and jeopardize the services provided to our fellow Americans.   Every day we hear about efforts to make federal employees at-will by eliminating our due process and collective bargaining rights.  It is imperative that career civil servants who are charged with implementing complex federal programs on behalf of the American people can continue to do their work with dedication and skill, regardless of changes in elected leadership.  We cannot return the civil service to the dysfunctional "spoils system" of the past, driven by patronage and political favoritism rather than ability and merit.  Federal workers deserve a voice in their workplace and Congress must act to make sure future administrations cannot undermine federal employee due process and collective bargaining rights and ensure that agencies fulfill their statutorily mandated responsibilities to bargain in good faith.

Please let me know that you support federal workers and their families in your district.  I look forward to hearing back from you soon. 

Take Action - https://www.nteu.org/takeaction/nteuaction

2/21/2024

TO: DOE Chapter Presidents

RE: Department of Energy Employees Receive Overtime Protections   

SUMMARY:  As a result of an NTEU settlement, DOE has changed the overtime designation for 62 employees to FLSA nonexempt.  

As a result of a partial settlement agreement between NTEU and DOE, DOE has reviewed and changed the overtime designation for 62 employees to FLSA nonexempt. FLSA nonexempt employees receive several important benefits, such as time-and-a-half pay for overtime.

These 62 employees occupy several positions, including Program Analyst, Management and Program Analyst, Program Support Specialist, Administrative Specialist, Administrative Support Specialist, Paralegal Specialist, and others. Attached is a list of positions. 

NTEU will continue to fight to correct the FLSA status of other DOE employees, and for employees to receive what they are entitled to under the FLSA, including back pay and matching liquidated damages. There is nothing affected employees need to do right now.

NTEU’s Field Offices will be reaching out to affected employees. If you have additional questions or if you know of any employees at DOE who have questions about their FLSA status, please contact your Field Representative or Will Li in NTEU’s Office of General Counsel, at william.li@nteu.org.

Doreen P. Greenwald
National President

Attachment 

Take a deeper look into the work of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and our mission to ensure every federal employee is treated with dignity and respect. https://www.nteu.org/nteu-next

Take a deeper look into the work of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and our mission to ensure every federal employee is treated with dignity and respect. https://www.nteu.org/nteu-next

NTEU is here to help you. We proudly represent 150,000 bargaining unit employees in 33 federal agencies and departments. 

Together, we can improve the working lives of federal employees.  

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