There was raucous applause in the House Chamber Tuesday night during President Donald Trump’s joint session to Congress when he introduced Elon Musk — The man at the center of the federal job cuts.
Four former federal workers, who recently lost their job because of the layoffs, organized a union-sponsored virtual news conference. In the conference, they defended the jobs they did and expressed anger at Trump’s address.
Chris Wicker, who lost his job as deputy director for the Small Business Administration in Minnesota, attended Trump’s address.
“What is really happening right now — in front of all of us — is there is a science experiment going on and the American people are the test subjects,” Wicker said. “Behind every fired federal worker is a veteran waiting for benefits, a social security recipient with a problem, a small business owner who doesn’t know what to do.”
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Tiffany Montes, who lost her job in the National Park Service, said her parents immigrated to the U.S. and followed the American Dream. She hoped to do the same.
“I don’t agree that the American Dream is back, better than ever," she said. "I think there are so many students in school right now who are scared that the field they want to go into will no longer be accessible to them.”
During his speech, Trump claimed, without evidence, that a large portion of the federal workforce is not working.
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”Meanwhile, we have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been showing up to work. My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy,” Trump said in his address.
Allison Lacko, a former Department of Agriculture worker, said she showed up every day to work on the federal nutrition program.
“I think there is a myth out there that probationary employees are entry level positions. We’re new to the government, but we are experts in our field,” Lacko said. “I have a PhD in nutrition, and I brought a specific skill sets in evaluating nutrition policy.”
“Millions of people all across America who are committed to public service, that’s what we wake up to do every single day and we are being blocked from doing that just so billionaires can get even more,” said Paul Osadebe, union steward with AFGE Local 476.
All four said they will continue to speak out and fight back against Musk and his plans to cut the federal workforce.
