Federal
employees
step up
defiance of
Trump
BY DEVIN HENRY - 08/05/17 04:55 PM EDT 16,176
Government employees are growing
increasingly willing to criticize or defy the
White House and President Trump’s top
appointees.
increasingly willing to criticize or defy the
White House and President Trump’s top
appointees.
A handful of current and former career
staffers in the Interior Department and
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
have openly shredded their superiors within
the last several weeks, continuing a trend
that has developed throughout the
government over the course of Trump’s
tenure in the Oval Office.
staffers in the Interior Department and
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
have openly shredded their superiors within
the last several weeks, continuing a trend
that has developed throughout the
government over the course of Trump’s
tenure in the Oval Office.
The growing opposition in the executive
branch comes as the White House’s
legislative agenda has stalled in Congress
and Trump turns to his Cabinet agencies
to change course in several policy areas.
It also is emanating from career staffers or
political holdovers whose resistance to
Trump has, at times, been rooted in deep
opposition to the president’s agenda.
branch comes as the White House’s
legislative agenda has stalled in Congress
and Trump turns to his Cabinet agencies
to change course in several policy areas.
It also is emanating from career staffers or
political holdovers whose resistance to
Trump has, at times, been rooted in deep
opposition to the president’s agenda.
“From our point of view, it’s kind of obvious,”
said Jeff Ruch, the executive director of
Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility (PEER), when asked about
staffers’ growing pushback.
Trump’s allies have often cast the president
as the victim of the “deep state,” an
entrenched liberal bureaucracy bent on
damaging his agenda through leaks and
resistance.
as the victim of the “deep state,” an
entrenched liberal bureaucracy bent on
damaging his agenda through leaks and
resistance.
They argue the deep state extends from
agencies such as the EPA, where
employees could be angered with Trump’s
decision to pull out of the Paris climate deal,
to career service intelligence agency staff
who leak damaging information about the
president.
agencies such as the EPA, where
employees could be angered with Trump’s
decision to pull out of the Paris climate deal,
to career service intelligence agency staff
who leak damaging information about the
president.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on
Friday even accused special counsel
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director now
investigating Russia’s involvement in last
year’s election, as representing the “deep
state at its worse.”
Friday even accused special counsel
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director now
investigating Russia’s involvement in last
year’s election, as representing the “deep
state at its worse.”
Conservatives are unsurprised by the
opposition from federal employees.
opposition from federal employees.
Chris Horner, a senior fellow at the
Competitive Enterprise Institute, pointed
to news reports about upset employees,
social media campaigns and “civil
disobedience” training for staffers looking
to push back against the White House.
Competitive Enterprise Institute, pointed
to news reports about upset employees,
social media campaigns and “civil
disobedience” training for staffers looking
to push back against the White House.
GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak, a
contributor to The Hill, attributed the
blowback to a host of factors, from the
political make-up of civil servants to the
use of holdover officials in government
offices that are still waiting for the Senate to
confirm Trump political appointees.
contributor to The Hill, attributed the
blowback to a host of factors, from the
political make-up of civil servants to the
use of holdover officials in government
offices that are still waiting for the Senate to
confirm Trump political appointees.
He said there is also a “real industry now
behind recruiting whistleblowers inside the
resistance movement,” and creating public
outcry about the administration.
behind recruiting whistleblowers inside the
resistance movement,” and creating public
outcry about the administration.
“It’s not enough just to be a government
employee and resign because of the
direction your agency is going,” he said,
noting that officials’ concerns are often
sincere. “Now you have to do it in a highly
public way, out of social pressure and
personal motivation.”
employee and resign because of the
direction your agency is going,” he said,
noting that officials’ concerns are often
sincere. “Now you have to do it in a highly
public way, out of social pressure and
personal motivation.”
Critics of Trump say government employees
speaking out should be commended, not
punished.
speaking out should be commended, not
punished.
“I think career staff don’t typically speak out
publicly unless they feel like there are
serious issues and problems going on
within the agency,” said Liz Purchia, a
former Obama administration EPA
spokeswoman.
publicly unless they feel like there are
serious issues and problems going on
within the agency,” said Liz Purchia, a
former Obama administration EPA
spokeswoman.
“It takes a lot of guts for someone to make
the decision to end their government
service and to put themselves out there
for public scrutiny and comment. … You
wouldn’t see that if they didn’t feel like
there was a considerable threat to the
agency and its missions.”
the decision to end their government
service and to put themselves out there
for public scrutiny and comment. … You
wouldn’t see that if they didn’t feel like
there was a considerable threat to the
agency and its missions.”
PEER on Tuesday released an open letter
from Elizabeth Southerland, a former top
water official at the EPA who said she was
retiring because of proposed deep budget
cuts to the agency and Administrator Scott
Pruitt’s deregulatory agenda. She wrote
that “the environmental field is suffering
from the temporary triumph of myth over
truth.”
from Elizabeth Southerland, a former top
water official at the EPA who said she was
retiring because of proposed deep budget
cuts to the agency and Administrator Scott
Pruitt’s deregulatory agenda. She wrote
that “the environmental field is suffering
from the temporary triumph of myth over
truth.”
Her broadside came less than a week after
David Schnare, a former 34-year EPA
veteran and Trump transition official, hit a
Pruitt climate science debate plan as “silly”
and said he resigned from his post because
of Pruitt’s leadership.
David Schnare, a former 34-year EPA
veteran and Trump transition official, hit a
Pruitt climate science debate plan as “silly”
and said he resigned from his post because
of Pruitt’s leadership.
The EPA called Schnare’s statement “false”
and “wildly untrue,” and a spokesman
questioned whether Southerland was
retiring “because of a budget proposal,
and not because she’s eligible for her
six-figure government pension.”
and “wildly untrue,” and a spokesman
questioned whether Southerland was
retiring “because of a budget proposal,
and not because she’s eligible for her
six-figure government pension.”
Several former staffers have launched a
group called “Save EPA” to defend the
agency. And Ruch said EPA unions and
employees invited his group to do “free-
speech brown bag presentations” about
how to legally fight back against the
administration.
group called “Save EPA” to defend the
agency. And Ruch said EPA unions and
employees invited his group to do “free-
speech brown bag presentations” about
how to legally fight back against the
administration.
In the Interior Department, the former
director of the Office of Policy Analysis,
Joel Clement, has filed a whistleblower
complaint against Trump administration
political appointees such as Secretary
Ryan Zinke, saying he was reassigned
to the agency’s revenue office because
of his former research and advocacy
over climate change.
director of the Office of Policy Analysis,
Joel Clement, has filed a whistleblower
complaint against Trump administration
political appointees such as Secretary
Ryan Zinke, saying he was reassigned
to the agency’s revenue office because
of his former research and advocacy
over climate change.
An agency spokesman said last month
that reassignments are “conducted to
better serve the taxpayer and the
Department's operations.” Several
Senate Democrats have asked for an
Office of Inspector General investigation
into the complaint.
that reassignments are “conducted to
better serve the taxpayer and the
Department's operations.” Several
Senate Democrats have asked for an
Office of Inspector General investigation
into the complaint.
Trump himself has been the subject of
dissent within his ranks.
dissent within his ranks.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul
Zukunft said this week that the service
“will not break faith” with its transgender
members, despite President Trump’s
promise to roll back policies allowing
transgender service members.
Zukunft said this week that the service
“will not break faith” with its transgender
members, despite President Trump’s
promise to roll back policies allowing
transgender service members.
The acting director of the Drug Enforcement
Agency also broke with the president,
saying Trump “condoned police
misconduct” in his speech to law
enforcement on Long Island last week.
Agency also broke with the president,
saying Trump “condoned police
misconduct” in his speech to law
enforcement on Long Island last week.
Walter Shaub, the former head of the
Office of Government Ethics, resigned
in July after publicly clashing with Trump
on ethical issues. And the president was
forced to fire Sally Yates, his acting attorney
general, in January, 11 days into her term,
when she refused to defend an immigration
order.
Office of Government Ethics, resigned
in July after publicly clashing with Trump
on ethical issues. And the president was
forced to fire Sally Yates, his acting attorney
general, in January, 11 days into her term,
when she refused to defend an immigration
order.
Public employee advocates said staffers
are still feeling the whiplash brought on
by a new administration, even six months
after Trump took office in January.
are still feeling the whiplash brought on
by a new administration, even six months
after Trump took office in January.
Even so, Ruch expected employees to
power forward and doesn't expect an
“exodus” of retirements, or that as many
EPA employees will take agency buyouts
as officials expect.
power forward and doesn't expect an
“exodus” of retirements, or that as many
EPA employees will take agency buyouts
as officials expect.
“We’ve been to this rodeo before,” he said.
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