NCL statement on mass firings of probationary federal employees
Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829
Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is alarmed by the recent mass firings of probationary federal employees in the name of “government efficiency and cutting waste.” These dedicated public servants – unsung heroes – provide essential services that consumers rely on. Their dismissal threatens the well-being of millions of Americans.
“It’s easy to break things. It’s much harder to fix them. The purge of employees for political reasons will cripple the government’s ability to provide critically needed services,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg, “Firing public servants for political reasons also threatens critical services, like running clinical trials for drugs that fight disease, defending our national security, assistance to communities after hurricanes, fires, and floods, and responding to the next pandemic.”
These purges could mean that federal agencies will cease to function – then what? Who will send the checks to veterans and older Americans who are getting social security checks, pay for highway repairs, and send checks to farmers who’ve been promised support for conservation and other purposes? Who will fix the pressing challenges our country faces every day?
NCL has long worked on protecting public health, preventing fraud, standing up for workplace safety, ensuring fair wages, providing access to social security benefits, and ensuring safe food and medications for us all. The termination of federal workers undermines the very systems Americans depend on for core services and to protect our future. NCL urges the Trump administration to reconsider these reckless acts and prioritize the stability and integrity of our federal workforce and government services.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
