BOSTON — Members of the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation are calling on President Donald Trump to reinstate fired federal watchdogs and dismantle an Elon Musk-led task force that has pushed for workforce reductions.
On Monday, a group of 38 Democratic lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren called on Trump to “fire Musk” and restore the employment of several key federal workers, alleging that many of those who have been let go will benefit the billionaire mogul and his business operations.
“Nearly all of your decisions you made about who to fire appear to benefit Mr. Musk, and many target individuals and agencies that are currently investigating or prosecuting Mr. Musk or his companies for unlawful behavior,” the lawmakers wrote. “Many of these individuals have legal protections dictating why and how they can be removed from office.”
The lawmakers ticked off the names of several agency heads and watchdogs they claim were “improperly fired” while involved in oversight of Musk’s activities, including National Labor Relations Board Chair Gwynne Wilcox and Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub, among others.
“These firings have removed the exact individuals in our government who would hold Mr. Musk and his companies accountable for following the law and protecting everyday Americans from threats to their health, welfare, safety, and economic well-being,” they wrote.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 11 directing the federal government to implement a “workforce optimization initiative” that includes “large-scale reductions” in the federal workforce.
Trump says the efforts to reduce the size of the federal government — a key campaign pledge for the Republicans — will ultimately benefit Americans by lowering the cost of the federal government and making it more efficient.
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has moved quickly to reduce the size of the federal government since the order was issued, which is impacting federal workers in states across the country.
Tens of thousands of workers have accepted a “deferred resignation” proposal in exchange for financial incentives while others have been fired. A federal judge ruling has halted the firings while the court considers a lawsuit filed by public sector unions that are challenging the federal workforce reductions.
Roughly 3 million people were on the federal payroll as of November, including the 600,000 employee U.S. Postal Service, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about 2% of the nation’s civilian workforce, the agency says.
While Democrats have largely condemned DOGE’s work, Republican governors have embraced the agency’s efforts and some are even moving to replicate it in their own states.
Several members of the state’s congressional delegation, including Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, invited fired federal workers to attend Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, instead of boycotting the speech.
Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat who signed Warren’s letter, was among those who planned to attend Trump’s speech but didn’t bring a guest. Through a spokeswoman, Moulton said he “wouldn’t subject anyone to that misery.”