WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, alongside Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to prevent politically-motivated workforce reductions at the Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Department of Energy (DOE). The House companion bills on DOI and USFS RIFs are led by U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). The DOE RIFs House companion bill is led by U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.).
The legislation introduced would require an immediate moratorium on Reductions in Force (RIFs) at DOI, USFS, and DOE, so employees are protected while Congress conducts oversight and evaluates long-term workforce needs.
The legislation is in response to efforts by the Trump Administration and the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to eliminate significant portions of the federal workforce at science and resource management agencies. Each of these agencies has already lost a significant portion of its workforce (DOI lost 11 percent, USFS lost 15 percent, and DOE lost 22 percent) by forcing employees into administrative leave, incentivizing them into early retirement, or through taking DOGE’s Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which is paying employees to not work for the rest of the year. These actions have created widespread uncertainty, disrupted essential programs, and jeopardized America’s ability to respond to critical challenges. Further workforce reductions through RIFs would only exacerbate these problems.
“These agencies provide critical services that protect American public health and safety, conserve our natural resources, and advance America’s scientific leadership on the world stage. Firing our scientists, engineers, and land management professionals does not save us money—it makes our government less efficient, costs taxpayers more in the long run, and weakens our nation’s security and competitiveness,” Heinrich continued. “This legislation will ensure we have the dedicated workforce we need to meet urgent challenges — from protecting our communities from increasingly devasting and catastrophic extreme weather events to advancing energy innovation, and protecting critical wildlife habitats.”
“The Trump administration is firing the public servants who protect lives and communities by helping to battle deadly wildfires, tracking extreme weather events, and keeping water clean and public lands accessible. These RIFs are a targeted purge of the people who show up when disaster strikes and who make this country stronger and safer, day in and day out. These dedicated professionals, and all Americans, deserve better. If Congress doesn’t step in to stop this purge, the fallout will last generations. America will be weaker: less prepared for climate disasters, less able to defend its lands and resources, and less capable of serving its people when it matters most,” said Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).
"The missions of these agencies are critical to the health, safety, and prosperity of the American people,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (CA-18). “Our devoted public servants make those missions possible. If you take away the workforce, what are you left with? Trump will stop at nothing to slash and burn core functions of our federal science agencies at the altar of this administration's twisted idea of ‘efficiency.’ The President and his minions are lying to the American people when they claim that terminations, cuts, and cancellations will put more money in Americans’ pockets. Their scheming won't do that at all. Instead they will leave Americans more susceptible to disaster, disease, and economic turmoil. The chaos must end."
Read the full text of the DOI RIFs bill here.
Read the full text of the USFS RIFs bill here.
Read the full text of the DOE RIFs bill here.
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