1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing because I am beyond frustrated watching this administration systematically attack federal employees, undermine federal agencies, weaken independent oversight, and treat the career civil service as something to be dismantled rather than protected. The latest example should alarm every member of Congress, regardless of party. President Trump has nominated Dennis Kirk, a co author of Project 2025, to serve as Inspector General of the Department of the Interior. What makes this even more disturbing is that reporting indicates Kirk was already placed inside the Interior Inspector General’s office as a political appointee before his nomination. Former Interior Inspector General Mark Greenblatt has warned that Kirk’s political background and ties to the administration undermine the independence that an Inspector General must have. Experts have also raised concerns about whether this approach is consistent with the requirement that Inspectors General be selected without regard to political affiliation. This is not about Republicans versus Democrats. It is about whether our government will continue to have independent oversight capable of investigating waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct, including misconduct by the administration in power. And this is not happening in isolation. Russell Vought has become one of the central figures in this administration’s effort to fundamentally reshape and weaken the federal government. His influence over federal agencies, budgets and the career workforce has been enormous. His role in advancing Project 2025’s vision for transforming the federal government includes proposals that would dramatically reduce the federal workforce and consolidate executive power. Federal employees are not the enemy. They are the people who process Social Security claims, protect our food and water, enforce laws, inspect workplaces, administer veterans’ benefits, protect our national security, collect taxes, conduct scientific research and keep the federal government functioning every single day. Yet this administration has repeatedly treated career federal employees as political obstacles rather than public servants. Agencies have been subjected to mass reductions in force, staffing disruptions, reorganizations and efforts to strip career employees of protections that exist specifically to prevent political retaliation. At the same time, independent watchdog offices that Congress created to detect waste and abuse have been weakened or placed under unprecedented political pressure. That should concern you as a member of Congress. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the executive branch. You cannot effectively perform that responsibility if the administration is allowed to replace independent watchdogs with political loyalists, hollow out agencies, silence career professionals and control the very information Congress needs to conduct oversight. And I want to be very clear about something. Russell Vought should not be allowed to operate as though Congress does not exist. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. Federal agencies exist because Congress created them and funded them. Inspectors General exist because Congress established them. Federal employees work under laws enacted by Congress. When an administration attempts to dismantle those institutions without meaningful congressional resistance, Congress is not merely watching from the sidelines. It is surrendering its own authority. I am asking you to do your job. Stand up for federal employees. Stand up for independent Inspectors General. Stand up for the federal agencies that Americans depend on. Stand up to Russell Vought. Demand accountability for the administration’s treatment of career civil servants and its attempts to weaken the institutions responsible for oversight. And most importantly, stop allowing political loyalty to replace competence, independence and public service. I also want you to understand something from your constituents’ perspective. People are watching. We are watching what you vote for. We are watching what you refuse to challenge. We are watching whether you defend the institutions of government or simply remain silent while this administration dismantles them. If you ever expect to be reelected, you need to start showing your constituents that you actually give a damn about what is happening to them and to the federal government they depend upon. Your constituents should not have to beg their elected representatives to defend the basic principles of accountable government. You were elected to represent us, not Russell Vought, not Project 2025, and not the political interests of this administration. I am asking you to demonstrate that you understand the difference. Use your position in Congress to demand meaningful oversight. Protect the independence of Inspectors General. Defend career federal employees from political retaliation. Protect the agencies Congress established to serve the American people. And hold Russell Vought and this administration accountable when they exceed their authority. Silence is not neutrality when democratic institutions are being weakened. Silence is a choice. I sincerely hope you choose to stand with your constituents, federal employees, independent oversight and the rule of law. Because we are paying attention.