Cuts to federal workers hurt us all

On Labor Day, we honored the workers who make our country strong. But this year, we must also sound the alarm.

Across America, federal employees are quietly doing the work that keeps our nation safe, healthy, and thriving. They ensure clean water flows from our taps, protect our borders, inspect our food, deliver our mail, and safeguard our skies. They conduct cancer research, support farmers, build bridges, fight monopolies, and protect our rights as consumers and workers.

Many people don’t realize that nearly 85% of the federal workforce is outside of the D.C. metro area. They live and work across our country, delivering services in many communities. In fact, 31,702 federal employees work in Iowa and make up 1.9% of the employment rate in the state. Federal employees are our neighbors, friends and family. They are the invisible hands of progress who help us take care of each other as Americans. They are nonpartisan public servants who chose careers in government because they believe in the promise of a more perfect union and work every day to improve our quality of life, invest in our future, and make our economy stable and fair.

But today, that workforce is under attack.

The current administration has launched sweeping Reductions in Force (RIFs) across dozens of federal agencies with the single-minded purpose of cutting the number of employees and decimating agencies.

For example, at the Department of Health and Human Services, over 13,000 employees are being removed. EPA, FDA, NPS, BLM and CFPB are facing deep cuts that threaten their ability to serve the American people. The IRS is losing a quarter of its workforce, and the Department of Education may lose more than a third of its workforce.

These are not just numbers. These are the people who make it possible for children to receive vital services, provide millions of Americans access to health care, and ensure that Americans retire with dignity and the public can fly safely. These are the scientists who fight disease outbreaks, regulators who keep banks honest, and inspectors who ensure our food and medicine is safe.

For those who think that these cuts are necessary, think again. The cost of paying federal employees is a small fraction of the federal budget, but the return on that investment is enormous. Federal workers provide essential services to the American people every day. Replacing them with private contractors often costs more and delivers less. Cutting federal jobs doesn’t shrink the deficit, it shrinks the government’s ability to serve its people effectively and efficiently.

This is not efficient. This is destruction

The consequences of these cuts are staggering. Essential services are being hollowed out. Institutional knowledge is vanishing. And the American people, especially the most vulnerable are already paying the price. As a taxpayer, I want a government that works for everyone. But gutting the workforce that delivers for the American people makes that impossible.

We must remember: a strong, independent, and nonpartisan federal workforce is not a privilege, it is a cornerstone of democracy. Federal workers are the reason our government can respond to crises, serve rural and vulnerable communities, and uphold the rule of law.

Let us celebrate their service. Let us defend their dignity and stand with federal employees. When we support federal workers, we support the American people.

Doreen Greenwald is national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents front line federal employees in 38 agencies and departments.