♪ > > This week.

The Wheelhouse community.

> > Federal worker layoffs a push to reduce the federal workforce and pushback from those affected.

> > Connecticut public on > > war.

Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

The show that connects politics.

The people we've got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

The Department of Government Efficiency, AKA, Do has had a busy few weeks as Elon Musk and to attempt to decrease.

It's size and spending of the federal government, layoffs of federal workers have already begun leaving many across the state.

Really the country feeling confused and worried.

The effort to protect federal workers is playing out locally.

Tell me more about this.

I'm joined by Eddie Martinez, the area's breaking news and general assignment reporter for Connecticut public.

Any thank you so much for joining me on the show today.

I think a good morning.

Thank you for having me.

Also, good to have you Folks want to join the conversation.

They can give us a call.

888-720-9677, 8.17, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, tens of thousands of U.S. federal employees could lose their jobs as the Trump administration moves to.

I would say dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce.

> > Are we seeing any backlash to the potential cuts play out locally?

Yeah, there has been a lot of concern here in Connecticut > > A potential minimizing of the federal workforce.

It worker Union organizers were present supporters held a rally last week at the VA hospital in West Haven in which it covers Hill and the where they expressed anger and confusion over a potential firings or a one of the border of most of the work force.

> > We're gonna play some clips later.

We'll hear from Renee Luhnow Scheck fee.

It was one of the people you talked about.

What are they basically saying when you're at these rallies, what he what are you hearing?

Why are they organizing at least?

> > They've dates or is that they want to keep their jobs.

So they want to keep their jobs and they don't understand the reasoning want behind these cuts.

will, of course, looking probably if there was a ways to involve them probably there behind that.

But they don't understand the rational removing that that that many workers.

> > And we got a statement to Connecticut Public Radio from Veterans Affairs Press Secretary Pete Casper.

It's push back against criticism.

Federal agencies are getting for letting workers go calling it dis-information.

He says the VA is committed to providing health care and benefits recipients of care have earned along with improving the department overall.

He also said the intention is to strengthen department, including redirecting billions of dollars from non-mission critical efforts to health care benefits and services that directly support VA beneficiaries.

Any response to what he shared or at least what you all are writing in.

Your new stories after you include something like that in there.

> > That's the rationale perform.

What I've heard advocates is and because of cuts this massive would you have looking it would have most likely have an impact on care medical care provided to veterans.

The that's as it is right now is has already been that described as being understaffed for at least a decade.

According to a news report from USA Today suffered cuts would worsen the situation.

> > It with the media last week.

Congressman Joe Courtney estimated that 60 or 6,000 veterans will be impacted directly.

It layoffs could also have a trickle down effect impacting more than just the workers who are laid off.

Can you help us get into the larger ramifications of this action?

> > Yeah, like if I could start off with this saying that.

So looking at like from the ground level of what the larger impact could I was, you know, I was told by the I don't know, guys are as well as and shut the that there already doing a lot more with less because of the fact that there short-staffed and the impact of the cuts.

Could it could impact a lot quality of care.

Wait times and according to the public comments by the former VA inspector before he was a let go last month.

There was already a shortage of senior staff positions at at the VA be forgiven for the cuts were announced.

> > Federal government employees rallied outside of the West Haven Veteran Affairs Medical Center last week.

And of course, our man Eddie Martinez, was there the West Haven VA serves thousands of veterans across Connecticut.

It also employs many veterans correct.

Annie, and how might these cuts impact the V A's ability to serve the community?

> > my numbers maybe often going off time had some numbers may not be want to but 22,000 to 20,000 I believe workers at the VA, our veterans themselves.

If they have the.

Being like, oh, that could the could obviously, that would be a huge financial impact for Florida's but for for themselves and as well as their families any and some sand like substantial cook, thanks in the workforce.

I'm sorry.

Yes.

Do we know how big the workforce is in Connecticut for the V a?

> > That is something the oven trying to get answers from from the.

> > From the VA basically asking with what is the actual direct impact of this would have been?

I haven't really receive the response on that level yet.

> > We understand that there's 19,000 or something like that.

Federal workers, at least in Connecticut, beyond the VA, obviously you have the opportunity to speak with a nurse from the West Haven VA.

Her name is Renee Luhnow.

Shaq V, here's what Renee had to say.

> > I can tell you what I did do last week.

I didn't take a lunch a single day and I didn't take a 15 minute break a single day because we're trying to do a lot with what little we have.

> > As you said, it sounds like workers at the VA already spread very thin.

Is that why people are so concerned about the work that has to be done there and there's kind of these rallies happening.

> > Yeah, yeah.

The STA I would say that that's a large part of there has a presence there's already a shortage of workers at the BA and me substantial.

Look, cook thanks to the work force could have could worsen the already cations of shorts short staffing it to be including wait times and just setting up a medical workers to attend to patients if you have and what they would have an impact.

> > Our local politicians responding to the news of the Trump administration's plans to cut more than 80,000 Department of veteran Affairs workers nationwide.

> > local politicians and probably a oppose these cuts.

They have all the 8th, the focus in on a boat similarly about how these cuts make a lot of sense that they would harm veterans.

So, yeah, there's been there's been a lot of backlash.

> > The nurse we heard from earlier, Renee.

Renee Luhnow, Shaq Feet also shared with you.

How participating in the rally has impacted her personal.

Take a listen to that.

> > I've lost friends over coming to this rally today.

But you know, this has not anti anything.

This is pro.

> > Pro VA employees, Pro veteran health care.

> > Ne 5, I just want to go talk more about the ways the federal workforce cuts are being politicized because as you said, she's talking about losing friends, family, and she's just it sounds like you saw the sign that she was holding just trying to do her job and to also serve veterans.

> > she maintains a state she was not taking a political position by this because all she's doing simply advocating for a job.

But acquaintances and friends of hers haven't really a seeing eye to eye on her on that.

And some of them.

She delve into like the political positions of the friends who speaking to her.

But one probably could surmise that they probably They probably do support the coats or at least support the administration's actions on the state by seeing busting healthy could cut down waste.

But when she tries to have conversations with people about the state from her perspective, they just push away and they don't want to engage.

> > Sounds like what's happening a lot through America right now.

A lot of political polarization.

Any final thoughts?

Any anything else you want to share on this topic person specifically?

> > One thing that stood out to me was at the very end I started packing women things and she told me she just he did just how > > just how difficult it was to have the steps of conversations now as opposed to just a decade ago.

And she just wishes.

And so she even told me that she wishes that she that the politicization of of everything in general.

happened.

> > Andy Works in our Fairfield Office with Erica McIntosh.

We appreciate the work that they do.

Nt really quickly, what you guys working on down there.

Any stories coming out in the near future?

> > Among them to Stanford Room with him within the a press conference of room for an income tax credit.

I believe not up.

So yeah.

> > Yeah.

This cat's working all the time.

Thank you so much.

Any I appreciate it.

I like to call him every day and because he's always out there for us.

We appreciate your work.

We appreciate Erica's work.

We want to make sure that we shout out Erica's work with black voices that she's done on CT Public Dot org.

You can go there and see the work that she's done.

And of course, the great work these guys do every day.

Eddie and Erica, breaking news and general assignment reporter for Connecticut public.

Good luck down there at Stanford.

Eddie, thank you so much.

Frankie.

Thank you for having me on.

Yeah.

Coming up, we're going to continue our conversation about the federal workforce cuts.

Let's do what you think about Doge is latest actions.

If you've been impacted by cuts in the federal workforce.

Join the conversation.

88 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 720-9677.

We'll take your calls next before to hear from you.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut, public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

The impact of federal workforce cuts are being felt far and wide.

> > In November 2024, the federal government employee just over 3 million people.

That's according to Bureau of Labor.

> > Statistics data to give us an idea of how many people are impacted by President Trump's controversial initiative.

I'm joined by Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter for Connecticut Public Mirror and Connecticut Public.

Good morning, Lisa.

There you are.

> > Morning Frankie.

So happy to see this morning.

also joined by Jori Heckman reporter for the Federal News Network.

Jori.

Great to have you on the show.

Hey, Frankie, thanks for having me.

Yeah.

Great to have you Folks want to join the conversation.

It is 870-9677.

We're looking at maybe talk to a federal worker or maybe somebody that's concerned about the the cuts.

Maybe you're even thinking that these cuts are going to help us and the economy, something like that.

Give us call us know.

Your thoughts are 88, 720-9677.

It is 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, We'll begin with a basic question.

Why is President Trump's administration Lisa and Doge in particular focusing on federal workers here?

> > There's a better public and push for years to want to reduce the federal government ending and President Trump as well.

So I mean, that was something that he tried to do and to the bay and his first term he had employed a federal hiring freeze.

We're seeing the same thing now.

You know, I think there's a lot of kinks.

They were trying to work out in the first term.

he and, you know, some of his allies are pretty new to federal government and things got, you know, caught up in the courts.

And so I think coming back this time around, they'd definitely the planned.

Obviously, it's been coming out and pretty high high speed pace right now.

And so, yeah, this is I mean, this is something that he's talked about and people in his talked about for years.

And so I think just again, the pace is kind of what a surprising catching a lot of people off guard.

> > That's like the diehard sequel.

It's like Trump with a vengeance here.

They're coming back in there.

They're doing it a different way.

This time around us.

Congressman Joe Courtney says the issue of employment for federal workers is the biggest one on his plate right now says getting a lot of calls on it.

Let's listen to the congressman.

This is what he is saying since he's getting a lot of these calls since the inauguration happen.

There's no question that the number one issue that is really troubling.

> > Many, many people is Dozier and the really actually efforts that are.

Going forward in terms of just intruding on privacy data.

Interrupting the operations of departments and agencies and what we're going to talk about today is just the in my opinion, full-scale assault on federal employees.

> > I've been covering Courtney pretty closely for the last 10 years and he doesn't always speak so directly about something like that.

He's always careful about being inflammatory.

He says that the party's support or whether you voted for President Trump or not also shouldn't impact the way you absorb news of the federal labor crisis says a lot of federal employees live in red states in red districts.

Some of them holding a higher concentration of federal workers.

Then southeastern Connecticut, which is pretty big where 3% a federal employee workforce resides, where some of these southeastern Connecticut federal workers with jobs.

Are we talking about Lisa?

> > Yeah, a lot of it's that the submarine base in Groton.

I think there's a bow.

1000 civilian employees.

I mean, that's not including anyone who is on active duty.

That's not anyone who has, you know, any kind of federal contracts.

And so, yeah, I mean, this is why his district has such a high concentration of civilian workers and you know what I know we're going to talk about this more, but you and I were on a call with one of the veterans who lost their job.

It resides actually where Courtney lives in Vernon and he went to see Trump's joint address last week.

And so, yeah, I mean, there he doesn't work at the sub base.

He worked at the IRS.

But I mean, again, a lot of them are in southeastern Connecticut.

And so I think that's why Congressman Courtney is talking so forcefully about this issue.

> > Yeah, big question that the reporters wanted to know on that call who did gave the lottery?

Who's who Lisa Hagen is talking about vote for in the last election.

I'm gonna let it hang out there and that you all wait for that clip to come in a moment for someone to talk to Jori Eckman from the federal news networks.

Thank you so much for coming on.

Jori Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney, explain that many federal workers live in red states and red districts which you talk to us about the significant the impact of President Trump's federal workforce cuts are or will be on those areas in particular.

Stuart, I think it's always worth pointing out that only about 15% of the federal workforce.

> > Lives within the Washington, D.C., Metro area.

The remaining 85%.

That's the rest of the country in places like Texas in places like Utah.

But it's a high concentration of IRS employees, especially but the federal workforce lives wherever of the rest of the country lives.

When we think about like to swap and draining the swamp, that's generally supposed to be DC right.

> > That that's the idea from the administration, is they they say this is it is a high concentration of federal employees within the greater capital area.

But as you're saying, it's spread out pretty much throughout the country and not just in DC.

That's right.

And in the vast majority of employees work beyond the Washington, D.C., Metro area.

Thank you for for that.

I just want to point that out reps in states like Connecticut have not accepted these federal workforce cuts as Lisa shared earlier, the Courtney supports a bill to reinstate federal workers immediately.

How our lawmakers responding.

Lisa.

> > Exactly.

We saw was that Bill, you're referencing that Congressman Courtney support supports its reinstating veterans who have lost their job.

I know Senator Blumenthal just put out a bill think yesterday.

I don't know what exactly legislation, but it's very similar.

It would be reinstating veterans who lost their jobs, including back pay.

And it would also include not just veterans, but I think military spouses and others who have lost their jobs.

So I this is something that they're definitely taking very serious in Congress.

I'm still unclear of weather.

It had Republican support and that's the important thing because any bill that needs to get through is going to need bipartisan support.

Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

Anything that wants to get brought up in the House and the Senate is going to need support from.

From the leaders and from the speaker of the House.

And so I think the I think there's been a lot of pressures specifically on the loss of jobs for veterans.

So I I think that's something that we're going to see play out a little bit more in Congress and the maybe there will be some more bipartisan traction on that front, including one of Joe Hortiz constituents.

As you mentioned earlier, who went to the State of the Union address, gave the lottery > > Vernon, who was injured while serving his country as United States Marine recently fired from his job with the Internal Revenue Service less than a week before his probation period was set to end.

And here's a quitter and serve both parties better and serve our country.

We serve the people.

> > Federal workers to data that I know to the Constitution just like somebody in the military did so in here to try and help people get their jobs back and raise awareness about almost 6,000 veterans that lost their jobs in.

Hopefully I can get my job back.

But if I don't get my job back in 5,999 other veterans get their jobs back.

I did my job coming under.

So that's what I'm looking to do.

> > And here's us closing the loop from that tease earlier, the lottery voted for President Donald Trump last November.

He felt that Trump showed a commitment to veterans during the presidential campaign.

> > I didn't hear anything about veteran federal employees being let go.

I was in support of the government being more efficient.

I think everybody is any party like to see more efficient government.

But I didn't think people be fired.

A mess like this.

> > Gavyn Courtney, as Lisa mentioned, set together during the March 4th address to Congress.

Can you respond to what you heard from game to watch you on that call and in your resulting coverage?

> > Yeah, I think it underscores again.

I think the surprise that everyone is seeing in some of these cuts.

I mean, you know, a lot of people, including, you know, gave spoke to this.

He still is supportive of cover, cutting waste, fraud abuse.

What have you in federal government?

But it, you know, that was not something that he expected.

And this is obviously something that impacted him personally.

he was talking about also on the call, is that he was 5 days away from basically being having permanent status.

He was still not probationary one-year period.

A lot of probationary workers have lost their jobs as part of these reductions in the federal workforce.

So I gave was part of that at the IRS.

And so, yeah, I think he's just You know, he based on what he had heard on the campaign trail and what he thought President Trump.

What do I think he and others are pretty surprised at just the loss of jobs.

> > And that's why I'm so happy to have Jory on this call as well because I want to follow up on that point particular veterans Affairs employees kind of make up the largest share of the federal workforce around 487,000 employees nationwide.

Something like that.

We got that from the Office of Personnel Management.

Historically, veteran voters have been more likely to support President Trump.

Have you heard from veterans Jory who shared a lottery surprise over the President's cuts to the VA?

Yeah.

Over the course of the past few weeks, I've spoken to VA employees, current ones who > > have told me that they voted for President Trump in the latest election and have expressed some remorse with that decision.

People who applauded the first Trump administration's efforts to make it easier for the VA, for example, too, fire employees who are accused of poor performance or misconduct.

But more recently, what they've seen is that they are cutting the agency and all the wrong places that they are really focused on headcount reductions in a way that they are concerned might turn around and impact the baby agency's ability to deliver health care to veterans, deliver benefits to veterans and walking back that promise.

They've made 2 this country's veterans parade providing then the services they're eligible to receive.

> > Headcount reduction.

That's a nice corporate.

Her hair.

Is there public pushback against that?

And is it more I guess more to the point is that Trump administration walking back any of these recent rulings?

> > You know, this point the VA has done much workforce reduction, then it will see play out in the coming months so far.

They've limited about 2400 TVA employees.

These are mostly probationary employees.

People who we're in the first year or 2 of their jobs and are just easier to let go of 10 people who are more tenured within the federal workforce.

What we expect to see in the coming months is that the VA is prepared to fires many as 80,000 employees nationwide VA Secretary Doug Collins says that would equate to about a 15% reduction in the V a workforce overall and they're still early days in terms of doing that analysis looking at where they would cut what departments with offices, what programs.

But that would be a significant reduction in the V A's.

Again, as you pointed out, it's the second largest agency in the federal workforce.

Second only to the Defense Department.

> > 8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, The number to call if you'd like to speak with us today on the Wheelhouse in an 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7.

You can also email us Wheelhouse at CT Public Dot Org.

But really, we do want to make sure we get your calls on today talking about federal worker layoffs, but we're also talking about cuts that are happening at the governor at the government level.

And here's Denise from Farmington.

Who wants to share and some worry is that she has regarding all these cuts.

you doing today, Dennis?

> > I'm fine.

How are you doing?

Thanks.

All right.

Taking my call.

> > I'm happy to have you on.

Go ahead.

> > Okay.

And I mean, I'm not currently affected by what's happening in them and the federal government.

But I do have a lot of empathy for all the people that are living their job.

But one thing that I'm very concerned about is the is what they're doing and the Social Security Division.

a basically every day I wake up kind of sick to my stomach because I know they're in there and they're doing all this crazy stuff, which I'm really, really not telling us what they're doing.

But I'm concerned that they're going to be making a mistake or and something that will cause.

People like me, retirees that rely on our Social Security checks.

Do not get our payment.

I mean, I live in a community of people.

62 and older and most people that live here.

Rely on their sofas carry every month and like me, they're all concerned and worried that.

Next month, a BR check dot com.

> > I ask you a follow-up knees.

Is this causing you to do anything like drastic or like I don't know, seeking ways to supplement income in the in the concern that Social Security is not going to be there or maybe you're advocating more, what's it?

What's causing you to do?

> > Well, I have I'm not looking for a job at this point.

I mean, I'm 75 years old.

Got you I don't really want to have to go to work, but I suppose that that was the if that was the only choice because I. I really half need my full security testify.

I mean, I I have a small pension from are at work, but it isn't enough to sustain me.

I definitely need that check every month to pay my rent and pay my bills and just.

Buy food and just live.

And I have.

Yeah.

And some things like calling my congressman and calling my senator and I sent an email.

I have done some things like that.

other than that, I haven't done anything.

Sounds like you're doing a lot.

Denise.

Who really does so water so that?

> > Yes.

> > Thank you.

But I'm ordering.

I'm worrying a lot.

I mean, I feel like.

It's actually now affect my health because I worry every single day about what's going to happen.

> > Dennis and Larry were banned.

I'm sorry to hear I we're thinking about you.

We hope that you can find a way to cope with all this and hopefully you get the answers you need.

> > I my thanks taking my > > Thanks for coming on, call.

Dennis.

I appreciated.

It's good to hear from Denise.

I went along with their with their because I wanted to.

To help some of our listeners understand what people are going through right now because of that conversations with family members, friends, neighbors that are telling me this exact thing.

So are you guys hearing this as well?

Jordan Lisa?

> > I can take a first I yeah.

I mean, I there's definitely a lot of panic and confusion around Social Security and I don't want to and, you know, speculate too much on what could happen just because I think a lot of this is up in the air.

But there, you know, at least federal workforce perspective, there have been cuts Social Security administration.

And I think one of the biggest things we're starting to hear about is the consolidation or closing of regional in field offices.

And that's something that I try to understand because, you know, that's again.

There's a reduction in it.

I don't know exactly what that means for can okay.

I don't.

I've been trying to get answers on how many may have been close again or consolidated in kind of kid.

I asked Congressman Larson since he is really big on that issue of Social Security and he sits Italy capacity on the subcommittee.

In Congress on that issue.

And so he hasn't quite gotten answers tonight yet either.

And so I think there's a fear that if there is, you know, again, reduction in field offices where people probably that's probably the offices where people are mostly dealing with questions and concerns and calling into when they're concerned about Social Security.

But, you know, beyond that, least President Trump has said when they're talking about big spending cuts for the big buildup.

Tax cuts are working on.

They said that they're going to preserve Social Security.

So as of right now, that's that's all I can really can.

San report on that the way that Denise is talking about this and saying that they're kind of doing stuff behind our backs and not really.

> > Being transparent.

Normally, that's something that we might bat an eye to, because it's, you know, it's it's it's it's different kind of language.

But in a way, we're understanding that not even Congressman Larsen, who spent so much time trying to understand what's happening with Social Security doesn't have many answers and there's not a lot of answers for people like Dennis right now.

And I'm sure that yesterday's information about Medicaid and plans for Medicaid over a long time are starting to get people concerned because we're talking about entitlement programs for people in the biggest areas of need Jori.

Anything you want to add to this conversation?

> > Yeah, you know, I can.

I can confirm what's what's already been said about this that Social Security Administration is looking at reductions in office space.

There looking at reductions in the workforce.

They're going through the same thing that a lot of other agencies are going through right now.

They're doing this Pullen, preliminary step with their offering early retirements to employees.

They are offering buyouts of up to $25,000 for people to consider leaving their jobs.

And this is different from what we saw were previously with the the OPM Fork in the road.

Email we saw previously.

But the what it was always leading up to is in this happening.

Government wide is what's called a reduction in force.

These are massive layoffs where agency's kind of decide what they don't want to be in the business of doing any more.

That's this means for, you know, Im a nation of a having, you know, a reduction of fewer people doing the same tasks or eliminating certain offices in programs.

We've seen this play out at some agencies already and the expectation is we'll see this play out as well as Social Security.

And we heard from the former has to say Commissioner Martin O'Malley raise real concerns about bees cuts of this magnitude happening at SA.

He says it's really a matter of when not if payments will get missed.

Michael Missal, a guest of Senator Blumenthal of President Trump's address to Congress.

> > Of course, lawmakers trying to represent their constituents.

Also trying to send messages to the president.

Why did Senator Blumenthal asking to attend Lisa?

> > And reasoning, why Congressman Courtney brought gave the lottery, you know, trying to put a spotlight on those who have lost their jobs and many of them include, you know, saying claiming that they were legally fired and so Michael Missal was one of the 17 inspectors general that were fired.

I think within days of Trump taking office and so he and others have pushed back that they were legally fired because Congress is supposed to get 30 days notice of intention to fire.

I g's and so yes, sir.

He is also he's actually from Bristol and he was leading these Lee, the VA igs office.

And so those are you.

He said he was.

Kind currently involved in thousands of investigations.

Ideas are all independent and they're, you know, trying to hold their various and respective agencies that they oversee accountable and so, yeah, he's currently tied up at a I think they're dealing this week with the hearing in terms of whether they can be reinstated.

But as of right now, he and the other ideas are out of the job and Trump has said that he is supposed to replace them, but I think that's all kind of, you know, in a little bit of uncertainty as the lawsuit prolongs.

> > When can we expect to see this case move forward in court?

> > You told me that they're supposed to be a hearing on this this week.

I think yesterday I haven't seen anything I haven't seen an update currently on this.

But, you know, he is working to get his job back as well at least several other of the I g's.

So I think they're just kind of waiting to see I think there was the original ruling that they were going to be immediately reinstated.

But again, this is still playing out ports.

> > And we'll be watching and watching.

Your reporter leases not going anywhere.

She staying with us as is Jori Ackman reporter for the Federal News Network.

Miner for our listeners.

Let us know what you think about the federal workforce cuts.

We were so lucky to have the Nissan earlier.

She's talking about how she was impacted by federal cuts in general.

I want to know how this is impacting you, your friends, your family.

Join the conversation.

88 720-9677.

We're going to be back after the break.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut, public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

This hour.

We're discussing the impacts of President Trump's and the Department of Government Efficiency's Initiative to cut the federal workforce.

I'm joined by a good friend of mine, Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter for the Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut public good to see you this morning, Lisa.

> > And I was great.

Also with us Jori Heckman.

Reporter for the Federal News Network.

Thanks for having me, Frankie.

Good to see a this morning.

Jury again, folks join the conversation.

8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, Want to hear from you.

If you are impacted by these cuts.

We also want to hear about you as we've got a great panel here today.

They're able to talk through some of the things happening at the federal government level.

Obviously it's not likely Suntory have all the answers.

Only because not because they're reporting that great.

It's just that as we're seeing a lot of lawmakers, a lot of people that are actually making the cuts don't have the answers right now, but maybe they can help as they did with the Nissan Farmington.

Earlier, joy, I want to pivot to how workforce cuts impact the Internal Revenue Service specially since we're in the midst of tax season right now, workers have been ordered to return to in-person Correct?

That's correct.

We saw that Monday was the big deadline for most employees to come back to the office if they weren't already.

> > And what I've heard from Iris employees this week as it's been tough, trying to find out whether there's enough space for everyone to go to the office.

You know, these are big hubs like Ogden, Utah, Austin, Texas, folks, of course, here in the Washington, D.C., area.

But what I've heard as a reoccurring theme is that overall more people than desks, they've had to get creative there.

Then people who are working at of agency cafeterias.

They've been working in conference rooms.

One thing they did note here is that call center representatives have been exempt from those returned office orders because you can imagine the frustration of trying to be on the phone.

The taxpayer are trying to work through sensitive details of their situation and here to LA call, believe through from someone standing right next to them.

You know it in the same room.

So that's one concern that they did address.

But overall, the IRS does concede that office space is an issue here.

They've tried to get creative with where to put everyone, but it's been an issue this week so far.

> > you hearing anything about how confusion surrounding these cuts may impede?

The IRS is ability to do their work this tax season.

And I guess what listeners would really want to know is should I expect my refund on time or not?

Will the IRS workforce has jumped through a lot of hoops in the past.

They've they've always found a way to do.

> > More with less the up until recently were they're dealing with kind of a decade of steady budget declines.

Workforce declines in always delivered the the tax filing season on time and, you know, this is a concern that that folks to have IRAs employees, unions that represent them, it's worth pointing out that the GOP and fork in the road email for resignations.

They referred to earlier.

People who are considered essential for the filing season.

They were exempt from that.

It can take that offer.

We have seen, however, the IRS has continued to lay off people.

We saw that they did firings of about 6500.

Maybe more of this point.

Employees across the IRS.

And so there are concerns that these are people that do play a supporting role to the mission of the IRS, making sure that people get their tax questions answered that they are getting their refund checks on time.

So a lot going on here.

But at this point the agency, at least is mindful that they are not trying to make cuts that would impact the final season directly.

Many people do not enjoy filing their taxes, but it sounds like.

> > Irs workers are going through a lot right now.

You're saying Jori that they had a decade of workforce declines, but they're still working through it sounds like they're having to pump through it.

So give your IRS worker nowadays sounds like they needed.

Lisa, what I'm hearing is expression from Jori jury hears under staffing unemployment, economic turmoil.

One of the vibes like in DC right now are people worried?

> > The vibe there.

> > artist has the already its side.

You know, it's it's pretty it's pretty bleak in the sense that I think there's just a lot of there's just a lot of division.

I mean, we've heard that for years and years now I feel like it kind of hit a peak at the > > at the joint address where, you know, President Trump, it was not a state of the union because they're not say the unions when they first come into office.

But you know, his first time addressing Congress since taking office and I've covered many of them.

I've sat in the room and, you know, watched over the years as you know, there's just not a lot of it.

The Cygnus in Congress and it felt especially so this time around, you could just kind of feel the tension from the outset.

And, you know, typically there's always pleasantries, you know, when we have these types of speeches and everyone's coming together again, not even just, you know, in the legislative branch, but just across the across the entire government are just hundreds of people packed into a room.

You could just you could feel the tension from from the start.

And there are not many pleasantries and think back to when on.

I think it's back in 2009, when there is a Republican member that yelled you lie to President Obama and that was a huge scandal at the time and having outburst during state of the unions are.

We're very far a few between.

And that is just not the case.

Now there's just outburst immediately.

A lot of yelling all sides clapping.

And just it's very reactionary now.

So that when viper up with.

> > I hate to put you on the spot.

But when that happened in 2009 was that person center?

> > Or did they face?

I was not covering at the time.

I do not.

Review is centered Let's talk about it in this way.

Yeah, sorry, because we have a we have a in a blue state like Connecticut.

Tensions rising.

We have a situation where somebody was speaking out during the State of the Union.

Folks have voted to Senator Wright Representative Al Green, including.

10 Democrats understand it or something like that.

Who joined every Republican in the vote.

One of them, Jim Himes from Connecticut.

> > Yeah, I I do.

I'm not been able to connect with him since he voted just Central Green.

But on yeah, I mean, they're definitely got some Democrats on board with that vote.

I was in the room while that was happening.

It was pretty much from the jump that that happened.

It went on to go on for a few minutes Democrats haven't really tried to stop him in the moment.

They just kind of let him do his Let it play out until that he was removed from the chamber.

And so.

Yeah, but I mean, again, I think that, you know, we saw Congressman Himes and a few others get on board and join Republicans and say that was an out of order moment.

But again, the fact that most Democrats are backing of Al Green.

I think it just shows you the tensions that are on display right now in DC.

> > So we had that Jim Himes vote voting to censure their he was removed.

I think this was a on March 4th or something like that.

But said he wanted to in the past vote.

It was Joe Wilson was a congressman.

He yelled you lie at President Obama's State of the Union address.

And I think he voted to censure Joe Wilson back then.

So he wanted to be consistent, I guess, and vote for Al Green this time around and him being censored.

Want to go back to a comment.

We've gotten at least from some of our listeners.

Thank you so much.

The folks that are listening today, including Christine, from reading One is to focus on how workforce cuts are happening and the repercussions.

This will bring the country and based on how they're doing it using a sledgehammer.

All these layers of government are being decimated George, you respond to what Christine said.

They're the how behind what they're doing.

Seems intense sledgehammer was a word she used.

Yeah, really does speak to the magnitude of what we're seeing.

Workforce cuts are not.

> > You know, one party or another to what an administration does.

You know, we've seen workforce cuts under a Democratic administration.

See, I think the closest parallel a lot of people have drawn is under the Clinton administration.

They successfully cut the workforce substantially.

They they really did try to do a lot of the same mechanisms of of offering incentives, financial incentives for federal employees to leave.

They looked at downsizing agencies, but what I think one concern has been is just so much happening.

So quickly to this point out at being night done with a knack for says a scalpel, you know, going back to this point made earlier about reductions in force, typically to make sure that you're Minding Your P's and Q's legally.

That's a process that takes about a year maybe longer to make sure that year being mindful of your letting go weather the remaining workforce can continue to pick up the slack, so to speak, making sure that you're not letting go of people who, you know, our veterans, which are concerned.

You know, there there's veterans preference in the federal workforce.

You you basically get extra consideration in the hiring process.

If you are a veteran who served our country.

Things like that and that's just an accelerated timeline.

Substantially accelerated timeline.

What we're seeing play out now is that they are doing these can't be there doing these workforce cuts fast and furious.

There letting go of, you know, 10's of thousands of federal employees across the federal workforce now and the expectation is that it's only going to continue going forward since federal worker inefficiency that Doge has been working on and focus itself and a big problem.

Down in DC something that that is so pervasive that it needs to be addressed > > I think you've heard bipartisan voices here that any organization, any government agency can always be more efficient.

You have people like the inspectors, general agencies, people like the former IG at the VA, Michael Missal, people who their full-time job is to take a deep dive.

It hz program is making sure that they're doing what they're supposed to and identifying fraud, waste and abuse.

That's always going to be part of the business of government is looking at what?

What's not working?

Well in improving that.

There is some concern, though, that what's being done is not necessarily the remedy that, you know, if you are a cutting and only later realizing the repercussions of of what you're cutting, who you're cutting back and can have an adverse impact on what you're trying to accomplish in the first > > Yeah, because it sounds place.

like they're using the acts rather than the scalpel.

And that is always controversial.

Maliki from Guilford.

Pointed out that we should really be saying earned benefits rather than entitlements.

Thank you for that.

Now, a key.

That's a great note, mostly because of folks are always looking at these programs, Social security, Medicaid, things like that has entitlements programs when really we're just trying to help people out and trying to have the state as well as the federal government do that.

Lisa, let's get some final thoughts.

By the way.

Great participation from college today.

Thank you so much.

8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, was the number.

Thank you so much for calling.

Lisa, what stories are going to be following the next few weeks as more cuts unfold?

> > Yeah, will exactly kind of on this.

I mean, we're seeing right now the potential for 50% of the Education Department workforce P. But on leave or laid off.

That's happening kind of.

Well, there was notice of it kind of as we speak and that could play out.

I think, in the next few weeks.

And so that's something I'm focusing on and what that will mean for educational funding that the federal funding that kind of gets on this front.

> > Anything to worry because you're that you're working on the federal news network side.

Well, similarly, the Education Department cuts we we saw that play out last night that they started to.

> > Let people go there.

And, you know, there's an expectation that they'll be an executive order soon.

Putin pouch eliminating the department.

That's something you can't necessarily to do without buy-in from Congress.

It is.

There are statutory things in their that are legally required to be done by a government agency.

Also just looking at the VA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, they they've come, they've counted.

They've canceled hundreds of contracts recently in the name of government efficiency.

We don't quite have visibility into what some of those contracts are.

But we're starting to learn more and more about that.

That story had been reporter for the Federal news Network.

Jori, thanks so much for coming on this hour.

> > Thanks for having me.

And of course, good friend Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter for Connecticut Mayor and Connecticut public.

So good to see Lisa.

And as he was.

Well, Frankie, thank you.

Outstanding conversation with Lisa Enjoy.

Thank you, Daddy.

Martinez and Today Show produced by Chloe.

When great job.

Chloe edited by Robin doing a can technical producer is dealing race.

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