See below for video and a few highlights from the news conference earlier today outside the Office of Management and Budget, with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Don Beyer (D-VA08), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), and James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) to call out the Trump Administration for their illegal mass firing of thousands of dedicated public servants in the midst of the Republican shutdown.”
- Sen. Mark Warner: “We’ve got to end this shutdown. They’ve got to come to the table on healthcare. We know in Virginia, we’re already getting letters showing health care rates going from somebody in Roanoke paying $800 a month, their rates of up to $2,000 starting in November. We can do both. Let’s get the government reopened. Let’s stop this healthcare crisis cliff and make sure these federal workers get back pay and get back to doing their duty and helping the American public.”
- Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08): “I’m angry and I’m heartbroken. I’m angry because of the stupidity and the lack of vision, the cruelty and the sheer meanness of this administration. But I’m also heartbroken that the families of so many public servants people…I’m angry that all those title one kids in Northern Virginia and around the country aren’t going to have the Department of Education workers to implement the title one funds. All those kids with disabilities who will be denied the chance of getting any kind of education. And I’m angry at taking health insurance away from millions, maybe 20 million Americans, lives of pain and early deaths. I love my country. The people Donald Trump and Russ Vought are firing love their country. They fired them illegally. The tens of millions of people this Saturday, probably the largest protest in American history, love their country. We will survive this president. All things must pass. History will judge Trump and his loveless, immoral minions very poorly. But good people, those who live to serve others, to make life better for all Americans, will prevail. Our Virginia flag says sic semper tyrannis… I’m angry and I’m heartbroken but still full of hope. We will not be defined by small people who’ve not a drop of empathy in their soul. We have to take care of each other at this point, especially in the Northern Virginia Maryland DC area. A lot of people are really really hurting. It’s up to us to step up and make sure that we take care of our families. We take care of our neighbors. We get ready for a much brighter future. This is not the end. We will keep fighting. Thank you.”
- Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10): “First, I want to say thank you to all the federal workers and the contractors who are going without any pay during this time. Thank you for serving our country for everything that you do. Just know that when you try to traumatize and attack federal workers and contractors, you hurt every single American because those are the people that they serve and they protect and keep healthy. And I want to say something. Actions speak louder than words. This administration and the House speaker said that they care about federal workers and yet they continue to fire them and traumatize them and celebrate their riffs. And they say that
they care about veterans and yet they continue to treat them like garbage in the federal government. And they say they care about parents and families and children and yet they continue to attack programs that serve those people and fire people who are working in K through 12 education. Actions speak louder than words. If you really want to enter this shutdown, then Speaker Johnson, open the government so that we can reopen reopen Congress so that we can reopen the government. That’s the way to end this shutdown. Instead, we have Republicans at home who have not shown up to work. And so, we need to end this shutdown by opening the Congress again. And so, thank you to the federal workers who have been serving us for so many years. And Russ Vought, if you’re up there, you can listen to us. Just know that if you continue to fire federal workers during a shutdown that we will see you in court. And if you continue to try to take away back pay from federal workers and contractors, we will see you in court again. And we will continue to fight in every single venue and every single street quarter until we make sure that we end this shutdown and we protect federal workers. We bring healthcare access to the American people. Thank you.” - Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11): “I want to start just by adding my voice of appreciation to our dedicated federal workers. I have the great honor of representing nearly themselves each and every day to serve the American people. In most cases, could have been making a lot more money in the private sector, but have chose public service because they believe in it. And I want all of you to know that not only do those of us here today stand with you and support you, but millions of Americans stand with you and support you as well. And the voices of those Americans will be heard. The voices of those Americans will be heard. We had a festival in Fairfax this weekend and I had conversation after conversation after conversation with federal workers. Some who had been fired months ago over the course of the nine month assault that they’ve experienced. some who are still on the job doing their best to serve the American people with an administration that doesn’t believe in serving the American people. But one conversation is burned into my memory. A gentleman came up to me and described receiving the illegal RIF notification Friday afternoon. He works at the Department of Education. He works on transition services to help young people, young adults and their families with disabilities navigate the difficult transition from secondary education to the workforce or to support in the community. And for folks that I represent and all of us represent who have disabilities, kids with disabilities, that is a challenging transition. And he was in tears. And he was in tears not because he lost his job. He was in tears because the families in the communities that he has served will no longer have those services. Those kids and those young people will be on their own. So if Russ Vought thinks he’s punishing Democrats or thinks he’s punishing federal workers, the reality is he’s punishing the American people. is punishing the American people and that needs to come to an end. Russ Vought needs to come before Congress and explain to Congress and the American people why he believes he’s above the law and our Republican colleagues need to show up for work. They need to come back from their vacation, interrupt their tee times, show up here in Washington at the Capitol so we can sit down and negotiate an end to this shutdown, an end to Donald Trump’s punishment of the American people. Thank you.”
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