During a Senate Appropriations Committee business meeting on Thursday, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) spoke about President Trump's decision to fire many federal employees.
00:00Senator Burke. I could also fill some time here, Madam Chair, and I'm offering, but I will withdraw the amendment. I passed it around to try to create a discussion over the process of reduction in force, and in law, we've laid out a very extensive structure under Title V, Section 3501 to 3504, very detailed requirements for how reductions in forces are done.
00:29These have been translated into a series of regulations that follow that very detail we provided in law, but I think there's nothing that says, well, how do we make sure that if there's a significant change proposed, like a massive reduction in the employees of an agency, how do we make sure that the reduction in force law is followed?
00:55And so that was the purpose of this amendment, to say no funds can be used to conduct a RIF unless the provisions have been followed that are laid out in law and in regulation.
01:08In my part of the world, related to the Forest Service and the BLM and many other agencies, proceeding to massively reduce the personnel without following those steps results in an extraordinary loss of talent and an incredible disruption in the vision that we've laid out in our bill.
01:34And I think this is true in some ways for all of the appropriation bills, but I'll just use this occasion to say I want to engage all of us in a conversation about how we make sure that our congressional intent in laying out the organization of an agency and how it's to be staffed isn't undermined, and at least at a minimum, that the requirements under law and regulation are followed for reductions in force.
02:02And with that, I withdraw my amendment.
02:04Thank you, Madam Chair.
02:05Thank you, Senator.
02:07Are there further amendments to the CJS bill?
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02:14Thank you, Francesca Father.
02:15Thank you, David.
02:16Thank you, Anna Schaley thank you,는지il the full crown.
