Press Releases

Earlier today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) along with Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Elijah Cummings (MD-07), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), John P. Sarbanes (MD-03), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), John K. Delaney (MD-06), Don Beyer (VA-08), Anthony Brown (MD-04), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) met with representatives from federal employee unions. Representatives from the National Treasury Employees Union, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Federation of Federal Employees, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers were in attendance.

During the meeting, the Members and union representatives discussed the negative impact of continued attacks by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans on our federal civilian workforce, including the Administration’s Executive Orders undermining the right of federal employees to engage in union activities on official time and making it easier to fire employees, as well as President Trump’s decision to cancel a scheduled pay increase for federal workers. The Members also discussed their commitment to increasing pay for federal employees and opposing efforts to attack retirement benefits.

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with representatives of our federal civilian workforce today to discuss the ways we can continue to support our hardworking federal employees,” said Congressman Hoyer. “When Republicans seek to undermine our federal civilian workforce, they are making it more difficult for our government to function efficiently and provide the American people with the services they expect. I was glad to join with my colleagues from the National Capital Region to reaffirm our commitment to federal employees and discuss how we will work together to ensure fair pay and workplace protections.”

“The nation’s two million federal employees live in every Member’s district, but we in the National Capital Region have a special obligation to speak up not only for our own constituents, but for all federal workers,” said Congresswoman Norton.  “The best bulwark against the repeated attacks from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are our elected federal employee unions and the collective bargaining system necessary to seek fair working conditions, as well as the modest pay increases federal employees are due.  Hostility to civil servants by the Republican majority has left them with only the rule of law and the federal courts to protect them.  Last month a federal judge blocked three Trump executive orders, which we were not able to block in committee, that sought to diminish the labor rights of federal workers, including their right to use official time, which is necessary for the representation of federal workers who need to use the grievance process authorized by statute.  I thank our federal employees for their continued dedication to serving their country in the face of tremendous adversity.”

“Federal employee unions play a crucial role in supporting federal workers, who dedicate their lives to protecting our national security, our environmental safety, and our health and wellness,” Congressman Cummings said. “The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have been relentless in their efforts to strip federal workers of their hard-won rights. We cannot allow that to happen. I look forward to continuing to work with our federal unions to ensure that hard-working Americans can earn a living wage and provide for their families.”

“We are not going to sit idle while the President refuses to give federal employees even a modest pay raise, cuts pensions, threatens bargaining rights, reduces flexibility and even attacks their credibility,” Congressman Ruppersberger said. “I represent more than 171,000 federal employees, from entry level to top management. All of them say the Administration’s full-court press against the federal workforce is having a chilling effect on recruitment, retention and morale. It’s got to stop.”

“Amid the Trump Administration’s ongoing attacks on our nation’s civil servants, Democrats from our region’s Congressional delegation will continue to stand up and fight for the women and men who proudly serve our country,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “After a productive and thoughtful conversation today with representatives from our federal civilian workforce, we remain united in our effort to protect the workplace rights, employee protections and hard-earned, modest compensation that our federal workers deserve.”

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress continue to denigrate and attack our dedicated federal workers,” said Congressman Connolly. “Pay freezes, government shutdowns, the Holman rule, and weakening worker protections doesn’t help our federal workforce meet its mission or inspire the next generation of public servants. Instead of attacking federal employees, we should be honoring their service.”

“Congress should stand with federal employees instead of attacking and undermining them.  These are the men and women that keep us safe and make necessary programs work. Tearing down your employees is just about the worst management strategy available, yet all too often that appears to be what this White House and some in Congress want to do,” said Congressman Delaney. 

“Federal employees run a gauntlet of taunts and intimidation daily, thanks to the hostile Trump Administration. It is undercutting their benefits and cutting earned raises,” said Congressman Beyer. “My district is home to more feds than any other district and my colleagues in the National Capital Region and I will continue to do everything possible to strengthen protections for these hard-working public servants.”

“Federal employees have dedicated their careers to serving this country, and it’s imperative that we have their back,” said Congressman Brown. “President Trump and Republicans in Congress are committed to their radical partisan agenda to attack federal employees and leave working people with no champions. We are not going to stand by and allow this to happen. As we look forward to next Congress, I, along with my Democratic colleagues, will continue to fight for increased federal pay, strengthened collective bargaining power, and guaranteed parental leave.”

“The administration’s continuing attacks on the federal work force are also an attack on our local communities,” said Congressman Raskin. “I’m thrilled to have colleagues who stand up both for an efficient federal government and a well-trained and effective federal work force. We are not going to let the president demolish our workers, their unions or our government.”