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Video: In Richmond, 100s of Protesters Chant “‘Stop the Coup’ in protest of Donald Trump’s flurry of executive actions and Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to federal government systems”

By
lowkell
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0

Great job by VCU Capital News Service/The Commonwealth Times reporter Andrew Kerley covering the rally earlier today at the Virginia state capitol, where “hundred of protesters [were] chanting ‘stop the coup’ in protest of Donald Trump’s flurry of executive actions and Elon Musk’s unprecedented access to federal government systems.” Also, check out Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) talking about how he’s the “first Latino Democrat ever elected to the VA House of Delegates [and] I have 14 family members who are going to be deported if this president’s unconstitutional orders are allowed to move forward.” Del. Lopez also noted that Trump’s assault on federal workersis jeopardizing “jobs and livelihoods and homes…because of this president’s illegal acts.” Just appalling, and all the more reason to fight back, including peaceful public protest.

 

 

VA Senate, House Dems Call Out Youngkin, Sears, Miyares For Working “to implement Trump’s extremist agenda into Virginia, disregarding the well-being of families across the Commonwealth.””

By
lowkell
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0

See below for a press release from the VA Senate Democratic Caucus, as well as a photo by journalist Tyler Englander, from today’s VA Senate and House Democrats’ press conference in front of the General Assembly, “call[ing] on Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares to put their political affiliations aside and stand up to the President for their constituents.” The bottom line, as Sen. Mamie Locke put it:

“Instead of protecting Virginians, Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares are prioritizing political loyalty over the parental rights and personal freedoms they so often tout—but rarely put into practice. Their goal is clear: to implement Trump’s extremist agenda into Virginia, disregarding the well-being of families across the Commonwealth.”

Disgraceful.

ICYMI: Senate and House Democrats Press Conference: The President or Virginia?

Richmond, V.A. — In case you missed it, Senate and House of Delegates Democrats gathered in front of the Virginia State Capitol to call on Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares to put their political affiliations aside and stand up to the President for their constituents.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie E. Locke, along with House Democratic leadership, stood side by side to highlight the Virginians directly affected by the new far-right federal government.

Here are the words heard across Virginia today:

”Instead of protecting Virginians, Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares are prioritizing political loyalty over the parental rights and personal freedoms they so often tout—but rarely put into practice. Their goal is clear: to implement Trump’s extremist agenda into Virginia, disregarding the well-being of families across the Commonwealth,” Senator Mamie E. Locke continues, “Rolling back over 60 years of progress isn’t just a policy decision—it’s a direct assault on every American who has ever fought for a fair shot in this country. It’s a gut punch to communities that bled, marched, and legislated their way into spaces they were once barred from. Let’s be clear: this was never just about getting a seat at the table. It was about ensuring that the people at the table actually reflect America—all of America. Not just the privileged few. Not just the powerful. And certainly not just white men.”

Senator Mamie E. Locke delivering remarks as Senate and House Democrats stand united.

“I’m still disappointed in our Governor’s response to this chaos and instability, particularly to the ongoing hiring freeze assault on the dignity of the federal employees of our state…. We are one of the largest states with federal employment in the country… We have 2 millions to rely on Medicaid for their healthcare, mostly children, the elderly, and low income working adults. Senate Democrats spent years in this capital fighting to expand Medicaid to reduce the number of uninsured Virginia to zero. Now, this is all at risk because Governor Youngkin is backing his political party and his political ambition and not his people, the people of Virginia. Senate and House Democrats are going to the mat to fight for Medicaid recipients.” said Senator Scott Surovell.

Senator Scott Surovell sending a clear message to Virginia Republican Leadership.

 

Video: Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Moves to Subpoena Elon Musk; Oversight Committee Republicans Vote It Down

By
lowkell
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3

Clearly, House Republicans, who hold the majority unfortunately, are NOT going to do their constitutional duty or fulfill their oaths of office, but instead are going to be a rubber stamp for whatever illegal, unconstitutional and destructive things Donald Trump, Elon Musk, etc. are doing and/or plan to do. It’s hard to maintain any sort of democracy – or rule of law – if that’s going to be the case.

With that in mind, see below as Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) attempts to subpoena Musk, for VERY important, yet Republicans are not interested in having Musk testify to the House Oversight Committee and explain his actions. VERY telling – and VERY bad! As Rep. Connolly says:

“Trump’s disavowal of Project 2025 was just part of the con. President Trump and Elon Musk are using a wrecking ball to systematically dismember the government piece by piece. The American people deserve better, and we in Congress have a constitutional duty to uphold the laws that we created. We must protect the government, workers, programs and services that the future of this country depends on, and stop an unconstitutional assault on the government….Who is this unelected billionaire that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies, fire people, transfer  them, offer them early retirement and have sweeping  changes to agencies without any Congressional review, oversight or concurrence? Therefore, Mr. Chairman, given his prominence and his importance, I move that the committee subpoena Elon Musk to come before us as a witness at the earliest possible moment, and I so move.”

Bingo.

 

Video: In Interview with 2025 VA GOP Lt. Gov. Candidate Pat Herrity, Former Virginia Trump Campaign Chair John Fredericks Says Winsome Sears an “incredibly weak candidate,” VA GOP “looking at a potential wipeout” with Sears at Top of Ticket

By
lowkell
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3

This interview, by the former Trump campaign’s Virginia chair and MAGA radio host, John Fredericks (who is very close to Trumpworld), and 2025 VA GOP Lt. Governor candidate Pat Herrity (the sole remaining Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors) is both very entertaining and highly revealing in a number of ways. Check out the following video and highlights for more, including:

  • First, Fredericks gives his unvarnished opinion of Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears – currently the presumed 2025 VA GOP gubernatorial nominee – as well as some thoughts on Glenn Youngkin. According to Fredericks, Youngkin is “of course running for president in 2028  – and everything he does is based on Iowa in my judgment.” As for Sears, Fredericks says she got “a lot of issues with MAGA, kind of a never Trumper, now she’s tried to do a turnaround, nobody really believes her…not the strongest candidate that the Republicans could put up by any means.” Ouch.

  • Next, before Fredericks introduces Pat Herrity, he notes that another Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, John Reid, is a “former colleague of mine, radio talk show host that I competed with on WRVA, I put him out of business and out of his misery, and now he’s running for lieutenant governor – thank you John, you made a great decision.” LOL

  • Then we get into Herrity’s spiel about why he’s running for Lt. Governor, namely that (supposedly) when Democrats had a governing trifecta in Virginia in 2019-2020, a bunch of bad things happened (FALSE! in fact, Democrats passed 100s of pieces of excellent legislation that moved Virginia forward); also that “we got the country on the right path when we elected Donald Trump” (yikes!) and we need to keep that going; and that if Republicans don’t win in Virginia in 2025, all kinds of horrors will be coming, including the end of so-called “Right-to-Work” (aka, anti-union) laws, criminals running amok (this has been the Republicans’ fear-mongering pitch since the 1960s), “more public sector collective bargaining” (OH NOOOOOZ!!!!), etc.

  • Challenged by Fredericks about how the other VA GOP Lt. Governor candidates say Herrity’s a “Northern Virginia Fairfax RINO who’s “gonna basically play footsie with Louise Lucas and the other liberals,” Herrity responded that people should “look at my history… I’m the only one who’s had to take a pro-Second Amendment vote…produce an alternative budget to show people how you can balance the budget without tax increases,” that “I haven’t been squishy,” etc. We’ll see how that pitch plays in the Republican primary, but I doubt it will be sufficient.

  • Fredericks cites a previous statement by Herrity saying that “you thought it was time for the [Republican] Party to move on from President Trump” – very similar to what Winsome Sears said, and something that “is going to get replayed over and over” – Herrity first tried to claim his statement was “taken entirely out of context” (suuuuure! LOL), and then that he cares about the same issues MAGA cares about – immigration, public safety/crime, fentanyl, etc. – “the revoution of common sense,” supposedly. I mean…sure, whatever works for you, Supervisor Herrity, but we’ll see if it works for Republican primary voters. I’m skeptical.

  • This is probably my favorite part of the interview, the “reality check” part. First, Fredericks says Herrity is the favorite for the nomination because he’s from gigantic Fairfax County, because he’s the only GOP Lt. Governor candidate who’s held elective office, etc. But, Fredericks argues, winning the nomination would be a “pyrrhic victory if the top of your ticket loses by eight or 10 – there’s no way you win that race, zero chance…if you lose the top of the ticket by 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Winsome Sears right now is down by 10 to Abigail Spanberger…she’s not a prolific fundraiser, she’s been a Never Trumper, she had that statement out on Cavuto that is killing her with the MAGA base, she’s not gonna turn them out and she is looking at a potential wipeout, which is also going to take down five seats in the House, two seats in the Senate and Virginia will be ruled by communists for the next generation.” So, “if that happens…how do you win this race...how do you overcome what appears now to be an incredibly weak candidate at the top of the ticket that is going to drag you down?” First off, note that Herrity does NOT push back on ANY of that, specifically that Sears is a super-weak candidate who is likely to get crushed. Instead, Herrity just talks about how he’s “a prolific fundraiser…a smart campaigner,” that “I
    will be able to deliver Fairfax County at 40%…and if we get 40% in Fairfax County it’s game”; that “angry people vote, happy people stay home,” so “we need to…make our people angry about what’s going to happen to Virginia in the  2025 if we don’t have either the governor’s mansion or the House.”

  • Finally, here’s Pat Herrity attempting to square the circle of being a fan of telework for many years (including working with then-Rep. Frank Wolf to put it in place back in the 1990s), but now Trump’s ordered all federal employees back to the office. Herrity kind of flounders on this one, saying he thinks “we’ve swung the pendulum too far AWAY from telework” (???). Who knows…

Wednesday News: “This Is So Much Worse Than Last Time”; Trump Trashes US AID, Government in General; Sen. Tim Kaine Calls Trump’s Gaza Plan “Deranged” and “Nuts”; “It’s a War. Do Democrats Get That?”; “Musk Has Broken the Constitutional Order”

By
lowkell
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17

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, February 5. With regard to Trump’s insane/deranged, illegal plan to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip – obviously, an idea that should be rejected by everyone, as it would be a massive war crime! – this is why it was essential during the campaign for everyone to vote for Kamala Harris, even if they were (justifiably) angry and upset about the situation in Gaza, because THIS was always going to be the result – it was glaringly obvious that Trump would be much, much worse than Kamala Harris if you care about the Palestinians, Arab or Muslim Americans, whatever. Not even close, really. Plus, Trump is a disaster on everything else, so this should have been a no-brainer to vote in droves for Kamala Harris, not to sit home or vote for Jill Stein or Trump. Now, it’s going to be a four-year (at least!) disaster for ALL OF US. Greeeaaaat.

VA Speaker Don Scott Announces Formation of Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions

By
Blue Virginia
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1

Great work by VA Speaker Don Scott (in stark contrast to the *horrendous* job Youngkin/Trumpkin is doing, siding with Trump on everything, including Trump’s assault on federal employees):

Speaker Don Scott Announces Formation of Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions
Richmond, VA –  In response to the federal administration’s recent actions to significantly reduce the federal workforce, contractors, and freeze federal funding, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott today announced the formation of an Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions. The bipartisan committee, chaired by Democrat, Delegate David Bulova, and vice chaired by Republican, Robert Bloxom, will assess the potential economic and budgetary consequences of federal cutbacks and provide policy recommendations to mitigate negative effects on Virginia’s families, economy, and state budget.

“This is not about politics—it’s about protecting Virginia’s workforce, economy, and essential services,” said Speaker Don Scott. “With nearly 145,000 federal civilian employees and even more federal contractors calling Virginia home, we depend on a strong partnership with the federal government to provide critical services. The federal administration’s announced plans to ‘drain’ the federal workforce and the pause in federal funding raise serious concerns for Virginia’s economy and the ability to maintain essential services. This committee will evaluate the impact of these cuts and develop solutions to safeguard Virginia’s economic future. I have full confidence that we will work in a bipartisan manner to deliver thoughtful and effective solutions.”

“This is about ensuring that Virginia remains prepared and resilient in the face of federal policy shifts,” said Delegate David Bulova. “Our state budget must remain structurally sound, and we must take steps to protect our communities from sudden economic disruptions. The committee’s work will be critical in identifying ways to mitigate the effects of federal cuts while continuing to support Virginia families and businesses.”

According to data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Virginia ranks as the top state in the nation for federal contract awards, totaling $106 billion in 2023. The newly announced federal workforce reductions, including a deferred resignation program aimed at cutting federal employment by up to 10%, and the mass termination of federal office leases could have significant repercussions for the state’s economy, particularly in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads region. Additionally, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s recent pause on the disbursement of federal funding could create funding gaps for essential services, potentially impacting everything from infrastructure projects to social programs.

The 12-member committee will be composed of legislators from both sides of the aisle and will be tasked with:

  • Collecting and analyzing data on the potential scope of workforce and funding cuts.
  • Assessing the likely economic and budgetary impacts on Virginia.
  • Engaging with stakeholders, including state agencies, businesses, and nonprofits, to understand their concerns and gather mitigation strategies.
  • Providing policy recommendations for the 2026 General Assembly session to address the challenges posed by these federal reductions.

The committee will be made up of the following members: David Bulova (Chair), Robert Bloxom Jr (Vice Chair), Bonita Anthony, Ellen Campbell, Joshua Cole, Michael Feggans, Hillary Pugh Kent, Marcus Simon, Anne Ferrell Tata, Josh Thomas, Tony Wilt, and Vivian Watts.

The committee will hold its organizational meeting no later than May 1, 2025, and is expected to produce a final report with findings and recommendations by December 15, 2025.

Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Colleagues Call for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Illegally Fired by President Trump

By
Blue Virginia
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14

From Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine:

WARNER, KAINE, COLLEAGUES CALL FOR REINSTATEMENT OF INSPECTORS GENERAL ILLEGALLY FIRED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), alongside a group of 37 senators, wrote to President Trump strongly condemning the President’s recent order to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies and called on the President to immediately reinstate the officials. According to the Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act, which was signed into law in 2022, the President is required to provide a 30-day notice and substantive reasons for removal in writing to Congress before an Inspector General can be removed. President Trump failed to alert Congress or provide substantive reasoning.

In Virginia, IGs have played key roles in much-needed oversight, including over the quality of the United States Postal Services’ work, and in responding to the horrific animal abuse committed by Envigo Global Services against 4,000 beagles in Cumberland County.

“These officials, which include those appointed by Presidents of both parties, including many during your first Administration, collectively conduct oversight of trillions of dollars of federal spending and the conduct of millions of federal employees,” wrote the senators. “Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful, and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs.”

The senators continued, “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized.  The law requires that the President provide a written 30-day notice to both Houses of Congress and include “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer.” With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal. Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately…”

IGs are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs and play a key role in improving government efficiency and effectiveness. IGs were removed from at least 18 departments and agencies, including Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

In addition to Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and John Fetterman (D-PA).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Mr. President,  

Your decision Friday evening to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 offices across government—including those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, as well as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction—does not comply with current law and could do lasting harm to IG independence.  These officials, which include those appointed by Presidents of both parties, including many during your first Administration, collectively conduct oversight of trillions of dollars of federal spending and the conduct of millions of federal employees.  Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful, and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs. 

Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need.  They play a key role in improving government efficiency and effectiveness and have helped identify and recover billions of taxpayer dollars.  IG independence is the foundation of this work, and IGs must be free of political influence so that they can carry out their important mission with integrity and credibility.  The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked. For example, just this week the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued an unlawful memo directing agencies to pause nearly all federal grants and loans, which significantly disrupts the administration of over a trillion dollars of critical assistance to communities, businesses, and organizations across the country.  It is especially vital to have independent watchdogs at each of these agencies to conduct oversight of the impacts of this unconstitutional and unprecedented directive.     

While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized.  The law requires that the President provide a written 30-day notice to both Houses of Congress and include “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for any such removal or transfer.” With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing “the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.   

Lastly, if you believe it is necessary to place any of the affected IGs on administrative leave before the 30-day notice period has ended, the law requires that you submit a separate notification to Congress explaining how the IG presents a threat as defined in the Administrative Leave Act. 

 

Sincerely,

Sen. Tim Kaine Leads 37 Senators in Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From Sen. Tim Kaine’s office:

KAINE LEADS 37 SENATORS IN RAISING ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CHAOS AT CRITICAL NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 37 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their deep concern regarding the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department – which Trump has no legal authority to do. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

“…We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the senators.

The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

“Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat,” wrote the senators.

They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rubio:

The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners. 

The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act. 

Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat. 

Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

We request immediate clarification on the following: 

Status of USAID: 

  1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
  2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
  3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
  4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
  5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any. 

Personnel: 

  1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
  2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
  3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
  4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
  5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
  6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
  7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
  8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
  9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
  10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
  11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
  12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
  13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID. 

Resumption of Foreign Assistance: 

  1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
  2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
  3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
  4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
  5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners. 

We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad. 

Respectfully,

Sen. Mark Warner on Trump Administration’s Termination of Senior FBI Officials: “As we deal with a myriad of threats…this blatant abuse of power is making us all less safe.”

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From Sen. Mark Warner’s office:

STATEMENT OF U.S. SEN. MARK R. WARNER

~ On the Federal Bureau of Investigation ~ 

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement: 

“Earlier today, my office finally received a copy of the order that was sent on Friday by the acting head of the Department of Justice to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ordering that several of the most experienced and senior officials at the Bureau be terminated. 

“We need to be clear about why this matters. I am going to start by sharing a little bit about some of the individuals who were fired, and how they served our country. 

“At a time when we are facing threats to the homeland from ISIS and ISIS-inspired terrorists, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division. Bobby Wells began his career as an FBI special agent in 2003, and there are Americans who are alive today because he helped catch terrorists before they had a chance to carry out their plans to attack inside the United States. 

“While more than 100,000 Americans die every year due to drug overdoses, the president fired the Assistant Director of the FBI’s the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, which, among other myriad responsibilities, puts criminal organizations and drug traffickers behind bars. Michael Nordwall began his career with the FBI as a special agent in 2002, and he has worked at field offices in Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Pittsburgh, as well as at FBI headquarters, investigating some of the most dangerous criminals in the United States and making sure that they face justice. 

“As we face espionage and counterintelligence threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries, the president fired the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Intelligence Branch. Ryan Young joined the FBI as a special agent in 2001, working counterintelligence cases out of Miami. In 2014, he moved to counterterrorism and established the Syria-Iraq Task Force to counter the threat from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and has also worked in Dallas and Los Angeles, managing crises and counterterrorism investigations. 

“While new technologies are transforming crimefighting and our national security, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Science and Technology Branch. Jacqueline Maguire joined the FBI as a special agent in 2000. Among her other notable achievements, she was the lead agent for the investigation of the five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 after the 9/11 terror attacks. 

“As the FBI builds a workforce to manage the threats of today and tomorrow and keep adversaries like China from penetrating our secrets, the president fired the Assistant Director of the Human Resources Branch. Timothy Dunham joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002, and has overseen matters relating to counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and transnational organized crime. 

“The president fired the head of the Miami field office, which oversees crimefighting in nine busy counties in South Florida, including the president’s home in Palm Beach County, as well as extraterritorial violations of American citizens in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Jeffrey Veltri joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002, working on matters from health care fraud to terrorism. He also deployed to Iraq, where he supported the prosecution of Saddam Hussein. 

“In the memo, the acting director of the FBI was also ordered to fire the head of the Washington Field Office, one of the most important field positions in the entire FBI, with jurisdiction over federal crimes in and around Washington, D.C. David Sundberg joined the FBI in 2002 as a special agent, and, among other stops in a distinguished career, served as a leader on the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. 

“These are people who have served our country, protected Americans, and put criminals behind bars. Now they have been pushed out simply for doing their jobs.

“As we deal with a myriad of threats – to our homeland, to our cyber networks, to our economic competitiveness – this blatant abuse of power is making us all less safe.” 

Video: 100s of Federal Employees at Rep. Suhas Subramanyman (D-VA10)’s Town Hall Monday Evening Say They’re “Angry,” “Seething,” Appalled at What “DOGE” Is Doing, etc.

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UPDATE 7:30 pm Tuesday: Rep. Subramanyam speaks on the US House floor – “Taking what my constituents said at last night’s town hall and broadcasting it! We don’t want the dumbsizing our government. Federal workers are part of what makes America great!”

See below for video and a few highlights from US Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10)’s town hall, focused on ” the recent federal freeze, federal cuts, and DOGE.” Among other things, Rep. Subramanyam “provide[d] an update on legislative efforts to protect the civil service and discuss[ed] efforts for government efficiency.” Also, see this excellent article in LoudounNOW on the town hall, as well as this story by NBC4 and this one by WTOP [and this one from the Prince William Times]:

  • “It’s kind of worded as a buyout, but it’s not actually a buyout. It’s basically telling you to resign in the next six to eight months, and that if you take this option, you don’t have to come into work anymore…You should talk to a lawyer. If you’re part of a union, talk to a union. I’ll say that I don’t know if I trust this offer. I don’t know if I trust that they’ll pay you through when they say they pay you. We appropriate funds in Congress and there’s no appropriation for this right now. There’s no money for this. So, I would at least wait until you know the money is there.” – Rep. Subramanyam
  • “We don’t have the majority in the House. What we do have is the ability to speak up, to tell people’s stories, and to make sure that whatever leverage we have in Congress that we use it. I’m going to use my leverage on the Oversight Committee to try to bring in people who can testify about what’s going on. And if I can’t do that, I will hold town halls like this and make those stories public.” – Rep. Subramanyam
  • “We’re getting very little information as members of Congress, and it’s totally unacceptable. The DOGE committee has spoken with us never, basically.” – Rep. Subramanyam
  • “I’d like to have Elon Musk come testify in our committee. If he has so much power, then why doesn’t he come and be accountable to our committee?” – Rep. Subramanyam
  • “I feel like people should not be in despair and feel like their voice doesn’t matter…It matters more than ever, and they need to speak up.” – Rep. Subramanyam
  • “I am angry. I am seething. … I want you and I want all of the other Democrats as angry as I am…Get off of the high road.” – Federal worker to Rep. Subramanyam
  • “My concerns are very similar to the concerns we just heard about, particularly DOGE, having access to data like cybersecurity, to have access to data without having those [security] clearances…Those of us who have been there administering billions of dollars, know that those are positions of public trust with great scrutiny on your finances, on your conflicts of interest, and now we have private citizens, and if Wired is to be believed, 19-year-olds in college working along with a private citizen with access to our treasury payment system.” – Retired federal employee
  • “Do you have any confidence that the legal or legislative action already taken to stop DOGE and the firehose of horror coming out, it seems by the hour, about Elon Musk and his underage army of machines?” – Federal employee
  • “In the last week, we had Elon Musk in our building, and after he visited the building he called for a 50% cut of the entire agency…My colleagues are getting 15-minute one-on-one check-ins with 19, 20 and 21-year-old college graduates asking to justify their existence.” – Federal employee
  • “Every day for the last week or two, everyone has been scared. Everyone’s afraid every day the other shoe’s going to drop and we’re going to get cut.” – Attendee
  • “Could you tell me please, to which branch does Elon Musk belong?” – Attendee

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