1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern over the lawsuit challenging the Department of Agriculture’s sweeping reorganization and what it represents for the future of the federal civil service. According to the lawsuit, thousands of USDA employees are being forced to relocate across the country or risk losing their jobs. The plaintiffs argue that this so called reorganization is, in reality, a reduction in force disguised as agency restructuring and that it was undertaken without the authorization of Congress. They further contend that these actions will disrupt essential government services, weaken critical research, and diminish the government’s ability to serve the American people. This is about far more than one agency. It reflects a broader pattern under Russell Vought and this administration of systematically weakening the professional, nonpartisan civil service through mass reorganizations, relocations, reductions in force, and the erosion of long standing employee protections. Federal employees dedicate their careers to serving the American people, not political agendas. They administer Social Security benefits, inspect our food supply, support our farmers, protect our public lands, care for veterans, conduct scientific research, and carry out countless other missions that Americans rely upon every day. They deserve stability, due process, and respect for the law. If agencies can force thousands of employees to either uproot their families or resign under the guise of reorganization, Congress’s constitutional role in overseeing the structure and funding of the executive branch is diminished. Regardless of political affiliation, that should concern every member of Congress. Russell Vought has become one of the chief architects of efforts to fundamentally reshape the federal government by concentrating greater political control over career civil servants. These actions threaten the merit based civil service that has served this nation for generations and undermine the independence that allows federal employees to faithfully execute the laws enacted by Congress. I urge you to exercise your oversight authority, oppose any unlawful agency reorganizations that circumvent congressional approval, and defend the rights of federal employees who have devoted their careers to public service. Congress must make clear that no administration is above the law and that dismantling the federal workforce through coercive tactics is unacceptable. History will remember whether Congress stood up for the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the dedicated public servants who keep our government functioning. I respectfully request a response explaining what actions you will take to protect federal employees, preserve the integrity of the civil service, and ensure that executive agencies remain accountable to Congress and the American people.