From Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s office:
74 U.S. Representatives Warn Trump Administration To Halt Potentially Illegal Mass Firings Of Federal Workers
Representatives demand comes ahead of reported purge of State Department workers
July 11, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today led 74 U.S. Representatives in pressing the Trump Administration to halt plans to conduct further mass firings of federal workers amid reports that the White House intends to proceed with gutting federal agencies and conducting mass purges of civil servants, including at the State Department, following a recent Supreme Court order.
They wrote to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought:
“The Supreme Court… did not rule on the legality of these [mass layoff and agency restructuring] plans. The plans themselves are still under active legal review and are still being evaluated at the district and appellate levels for compliance with the law. Continuing forward would show active disregard for the judicial process and the Founders’ checks and balances intent, [and] create chaos if the courts rule these actions unlawful.
“[R]esuming RIFs and reorganizations is premature and risks irreversible harm to federal employees and to our nation. Career civil servants are not expendable pawns, but actual people whose jobs matter.
“It would be irresponsible, and risk violating the law, to restart workforce reductions and reorganization without congressional input while legal uncertainty persists. We urge you to take the responsible, measured approach which is to keep any agency reorganization and RIF plans on hold until legal clarity is achieved, which the Supreme Court’s recent announcement has not granted.”
Beyer previously led a delegation of 60 House Democrats expressing opposition to mass firings of State Department employees, including Foreign Service Officers, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The letter to Director Vought was U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (CA), Alma Adams (NC), Gabe Amo (RI), Yassamin Ansari (AZ), Becca Balint (VT), Nanette Barragán (CA), Brendan Boyle (PA), Julia Brownley (CA), Nikki Budzinski (IL), Janelle Bynum (IR), Greg Casar (TX), Judy Chu (CA), Steve Cohen (TN), Jason Crow (CO), Danny Davis (IL), Madeleine Dean (PA), Diana DeGette (CO), Suzan DelBene (WA), Mark DeSaulnier (CA), Maxine Dexter (OR), Sarah Elfreth (MD), Adriano Espaillat (NY), John Garamend (CA), Daniel Goldman (NY), Steny Hoyer (MD), Val Hoyle (OR), Jared Huffman (CA), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Robin Kelly (IL), Timothy Kennedy (NY), Ro Khanna (CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL), Greg Landsman (OH), Rick Larsen (WA), John Larson (CT), Sarah McBride (DE), Jennifer McClellan (VA), Betty McCollum (MI), James McGovern (MA), Kweisi Mfume (MD), Gwen Moore (WI), Jerrold Nadler (NY), Joe Neguse (CO), Johnny Olszewski (MD), Jimmy Panetta (CA), Nancy Pelosi (CA), Brittany Pettersen (CO), Chellie Pingree (ME), Delia Ramirez (IL), Jamie Raskin (MD), Deborah Ross (NC), Andrea Salinas (OR), Linda Sánchez (CA), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Kim Schrier (WA), Bobby Scott (VA), Greg Stanton (AZ), Suhas Subramanyam (VA), Mark Takano (CA), Shri Thanedar (MI), Mike Thompson (CA), Dina Titus (NV), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Jill Tokuda (HI), Paul Tonko (NY), Juan Vargas (CA), Nikema Williams (WA), and Congresswoman Eleanor Homes Norton (DC).
Full text of the letter follows below and a signed copy is available here.
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July 11, 2025
The Honorable Russell Vought
Director The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
725 17th St NW Washington, DC 20503
Dear Director Vought:
We ask you to maintain the current pause on reviewing and implementing any agency reorganizations or reductions in force (RIF) actions while litigation surrounding these plans is active and ongoing. OMB should not exceed Congressional authority and undermine the judicial process and should act with caution by pausing any further RIF related actions until the courts have ruled definitively.
While the Supreme Court’s recent announcement lifted the district court’s injunction on agency reorganization or RIF plans on procedural grounds, it did not rule on the legality of these plans. The plans themselves are still under active legal review and are still being evaluated at the district and appellate levels for compliance with the law. Continuing forward would show active disregard for the judicial process and the Founders’ checks and balances intent, as well as create chaos if the courts rule these actions unlawful.
Further, resuming RIFs and reorganizations is premature and risks irreversible harm to federal employees and to our nation. Career civil servants are not expendable pawns, but actual people whose jobs matter. It impacts not only the individual who no longer has a salary to keep a roof over their head or food in the mouths of their families, but also important services that Americans depend on to keep them safe. Whether it’s the lab tech who was needed at NIH to help Mr. Schleuter get access to his clinical trial, the National Nuclear Security staff that oversee our country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, or the National Weather Service employees that are needed to protect us from extreme weather events, removing or relocating career civil servants from their jobs has consequences. These patriotic individuals have opted to serve our country within the civil service and deserve respect and the due process of the law. Thousands of federal employees have already been affected by this Administration’s half-baked, rushed restructuring and resuming RIFs will compound disruption, lower morale, and weaken agencies’ capacity to serve the public.
Additionally, it is imperative that we remind you that Congress passes the laws that create and maintain federal offices and structures the federal bureaucracy as it deems appropriate, as well as appropriates funding to agencies to carry out those missions. It is only within Congressionally delegated authority in statute that the Executive branch has the ability to make restructuring decisions. Exceeding statutory allowance undermines the Loper Bright decision that this very Administration championed. The Courts are best suited to determine whether agency action runs afoul of Congressional commands.
It would be irresponsible, and risk violating the law, to restart workforce reductions and reorganization without congressional input while legal uncertainty persists. We urge you to take the responsible, measured approach which is to keep any agency reorganization and RIF plans on hold until legal clarity is achieved, which the Supreme Court’s recent announcement has not granted.
Sincerely,