1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's tactics to coerce federal workers into resigning through buyout offers are deeply concerning. Offering a "deferred resignation" program that would exempt employees from returning to the office until September, while also threatening downsizing, furloughs, and reclassification of numerous positions, creates an atmosphere of intimidation. This heavy-handed approach undermines the principles of an apolitical civil service and appears aimed at purging those perceived as insufficiently loyal to the President's agenda. We must safeguard the nonpartisan nature of the federal workforce, which serves all Americans regardless of political affiliation. Congress should take action to protect government employees from this administration's attempts to reshape federal agencies through attrition and coercion. Career civil servants dedicated to public service should not face an ultimatum between resigning or enduring a "toxic environment," as the union leader described. Promoting an efficient, effective government requires respecting the expertise and continuity that career personnel provide across administrations. Rather than politicizing the civil service, we should value these public servants' commitment to their duties and the American people they serve. I urge you to uphold principles of good governance by enacting measures to shield federal workers from retaliation for remaining in their roles.