1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent to express my deep concern about the continued disruption and destabilization of the federal workforce under the current administration, including actions associated with OMB Director Russell Vought and OPM Director Scott Kupor. The latest report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General should be a serious warning. In fiscal year 2026, officials at all 139 VA healthcare facilities reported severe occupational staffing shortages, totaling 4,712 shortages across 389 occupations. The OIG identified this as the highest number reported in seven years. At the same time, the VA reduced its workforce by approximately 30,000 employees and imposed staffing caps that resulted in the elimination of tens of thousands of vacant positions. While the administration has argued that vacancy rates do not necessarily demonstrate a staffing crisis, the OIG report shows that facilities themselves are reporting significant difficulty filling critical positions, including physicians, nurses, practical nurses, psychologists, social workers, nursing assistants, police officers, and other essential jobs. This should not be viewed simply as an internal personnel matter. Federal agencies exist to provide services to the American people. When experienced employees are removed, positions are eliminated, hiring is restricted, and agencies are repeatedly subjected to reorganizations and workforce reductions, the consequences ultimately reach the people those agencies serve. Federal employees are also people. They have families, financial obligations, careers, and years of professional experience invested in serving the public. The continuing uncertainty surrounding reductions in force, staffing restrictions, reorganizations, and changes to federal employment has created enormous stress and uncertainty for the federal workforce. I am particularly concerned that federal employees are increasingly being treated as a political target rather than as professionals carrying out the responsibilities assigned to them by law. Disagreements over government policy should not come at the expense of the people responsible for delivering essential services. I am asking you to take these developments seriously and to exercise meaningful congressional oversight over the administration’s decisions affecting federal agencies and their employees. Congress has a responsibility to examine whether workforce reductions and organizational changes are actually improving government services or instead creating additional backlogs, staffing shortages, and disruptions. I also ask that you listen to the federal employees who are directly experiencing these changes. Their firsthand knowledge of agency operations should not be dismissed when decisions are being made about the future of the federal workforce. Your constituents deserve to know where you stand on these issues and what you are doing to ensure that federal agencies have the staffing and resources necessary to serve the public effectively. If you expect to continue representing your constituents, then it is time to start standing up for the people who elected you. Federal employees and the communities that depend on the services they provide need representatives who are willing to speak up when government policies are causing real harm. The upcoming midterm elections will give voters an opportunity to make their voices heard. I strongly encourage you to consider what your constituents are experiencing right now and decide whether you are going to stand with the people you represent or continue to stand behind an administration whose policies are creating enormous uncertainty and distress throughout the federal workforce. The choice is yours. I hope you choose to stand with your constituents, protect the federal workforce, and demand accountability from this administration.