Supporting Federal Workers

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, 44,000 civil servants--hardworking, qualified, passionate public servants--call Maryland's Third Congressional District home. In the last week, thousands have reached out to my office. They were concerned, anxious, and wondering if their government actually values the work they do on behalf of the American people.

It is clear that, through the fork-in-the-road email that 2.2 million Federal employees received in attempts to expand Schedule F, President Trump and Elon Musk are trying to remove civil servants from the civil service.

Instead, they want to fill our Federal workforce and put lifesaving services for the American people in the hands of unqualified political cronies in a modern-day spoils system.

The irony, of course, is that the civil service was created to avoid this situation. The Congress recognized that cronyism and corruption did not serve the American people, and Congress did something in 1883 to create a merit-based civil service system.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, as the proud daughter of two civil servants, and as a proud member of the Labor Caucus, I stand here appalled by this administration's changing of the rules on these workers.

Everyone in my district and every Federal worker in this Nation should know that House Democrats have their backs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source