You expected Susan Collins to oppose Trump?
OPM takeover by Musk, Federal Civil Servant Firings | DIA (including DCS) now
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Mulberry Heel
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I wouldn't call Susan Collins the opposition. She's more of a "deeply concerned" type who somehow in the end votes with Trump 95% of the time, and the 5% she doesn't is usually on issues that don't really matter or ones where Senate Republicans interestingly already have enough votes for whatever they're proposing to pass. She's about as much of a fake "independent" or "maverick" as they come.
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From link above:
“The Environmental Protection Agency plans to demote career employees who oversee scientific research, the enforcement of pollution laws, hazardous waste cleanup and the agency’s human resources department and replace them with political appointees, according to two people familiar with the approach.
The move would give Trump administration loyalists more influence over aspects of the agency that were traditionally led by nonpartisan experts who have served across Republican and Democratic administrations.
It would also make it easier for the Trump administration to bypass Congress. While those formally overseeing sections of the E.P.A. must be confirmed by the Senate, the new appointees would be able to assume the role of acting department heads, circumventing the need for congressional approval.
… At the same time, there have been aggressive moves to deplete the E.P.A. work force. In recent days, the Trump administration warned more than 1,100 agency employees who had been hired within the past year that they could be “immediately” terminated at any time.
The change to the senior management ranks affects four key areas of the E.P.A. They are the Office of Research and Development, the agency’s scientific research arm; the Office of Enforcement and Compliance, which is responsible for enforcing the country’s environmental laws; the Office of Land and Emergency Management, which oversees cleanups at some of the nation’s most contaminated lands and responds to environmental emergencies; and the Office of Mission Support, which manages human resources but also grants and contracts. …”
“The Environmental Protection Agency plans to demote career employees who oversee scientific research, the enforcement of pollution laws, hazardous waste cleanup and the agency’s human resources department and replace them with political appointees, according to two people familiar with the approach.
The move would give Trump administration loyalists more influence over aspects of the agency that were traditionally led by nonpartisan experts who have served across Republican and Democratic administrations.
It would also make it easier for the Trump administration to bypass Congress. While those formally overseeing sections of the E.P.A. must be confirmed by the Senate, the new appointees would be able to assume the role of acting department heads, circumventing the need for congressional approval.
… At the same time, there have been aggressive moves to deplete the E.P.A. work force. In recent days, the Trump administration warned more than 1,100 agency employees who had been hired within the past year that they could be “immediately” terminated at any time.
The change to the senior management ranks affects four key areas of the E.P.A. They are the Office of Research and Development, the agency’s scientific research arm; the Office of Enforcement and Compliance, which is responsible for enforcing the country’s environmental laws; the Office of Land and Emergency Management, which oversees cleanups at some of the nation’s most contaminated lands and responds to environmental emergencies; and the Office of Mission Support, which manages human resources but also grants and contracts. …”
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Continued
“… Many of the emerging changes at the E.P.A. were mapped out in Project 2025, a conservative policy playbook that Mr. Trump has said he had not read. It calls for putting in place “reform-minded” political appointees to lead virtually all parts of the agency, including the scientific and enforcement functions.
It is not without precedent to install political appointees in roles where they can carry out the president’s agenda without Senate approval.
During the Biden administration, Joseph Goffman served as the principal deputy assistant administrator of the E.P.A. office overseeing air pollution. He held that job for three years, helping to write strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and automobiles. He was finally confirmed by the Senate in January 2024.
Critics said the difference was that while E.P.A.’s air and water offices manage the bulk of federal regulation and are likely to reflect the president’s priorities, the moves from the Trump administration inject partisanship in segments of the agency that had been neutral. …”
“… Many of the emerging changes at the E.P.A. were mapped out in Project 2025, a conservative policy playbook that Mr. Trump has said he had not read. It calls for putting in place “reform-minded” political appointees to lead virtually all parts of the agency, including the scientific and enforcement functions.
It is not without precedent to install political appointees in roles where they can carry out the president’s agenda without Senate approval.
During the Biden administration, Joseph Goffman served as the principal deputy assistant administrator of the E.P.A. office overseeing air pollution. He held that job for three years, helping to write strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and automobiles. He was finally confirmed by the Senate in January 2024.
Critics said the difference was that while E.P.A.’s air and water offices manage the bulk of federal regulation and are likely to reflect the president’s priorities, the moves from the Trump administration inject partisanship in segments of the agency that had been neutral. …”
BlooVooDoo
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I’m not under the impressions that one would find many experts in LC-MS, ICP, FTIR, GC-MS/MS, and NMR among the MAGA ranks.
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20,000 federal workers take "buyout" so far, official says
“… It's a significant number of people — about 1% of the federal workforce — but still substantially less than the White House's target of 5% to 10%.
- The offer is open through Thursday, meaning the total could rise, despite heavy opposition from unions and others.
- Aside from the pace of resignations, the official said, the administration is still trying to implement a hiring freeze.
- It has proven trickier than expected because some agencies are still taking on new workers.…”
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Trump administration adds fine print to "Fork" resignation offer, deepening confusion
“… Now, with the deadline to accept the offer nearing, federal agencies have sent out new terms and conditions in the form of a sample contract agreement that employees are told they can use to "memorialize" the deal. It's unclear who from the government would sign the agreements, or whether the contracts would be legally binding.
Adding to the confusion, some of the sample contract language diverges from the first email, which came from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the subject line "Fork in the Road," and other guidance presented to date.
… some of the sample contracts sent out state that employees who accept the "Fork" offer are agreeing to work through Feb. 28, to ensure a smooth transition of duties, and will be put on paid administrative leave no later than March 1.
It is the first mention of any such dates tied to the "Fork" offer.
The original email did not make clear that employees who resign would necessarily be put on administrative leave at all.
… "It's important you know that, right now, the federal government is only funded through March 14, 2025," wrote Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, in an email. "At this point, there is no funding allocated to agencies to pay staff for this offer." …”
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So any GOP budget bill may well exclude further payments to staff on administrative leave, for example …
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Continued
“… New language makes clear that employees must comply with ethics rules, which at some agencies require prior approval for outside employment.
In another section, employees are asked to acknowledge that "this agreement cannot be rescinded, except in the sole discretion of the [AGENCY HEAD], which shall not be subject to review at the Merit Systems Protection Board or otherwise."
The language indicates that federal agencies would be able to rescind the agreement, and that employees would not have the opportunity to appeal.
The sample contract agreement also asks employees to waive their right to "pursue through any judicial, administrative, or other process, any action against [AGENCY] that is based on, arising from, or related to Employee's employment at [AGENCY] or the deferred resignation offer" – and to similarly waive any claim that might be brought on their behalf by a labor union or other entity. …”
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I can get why a person unhappy in their job would take a chance on this offer but the terms make it seem almost illusory.
“… New language makes clear that employees must comply with ethics rules, which at some agencies require prior approval for outside employment.
In another section, employees are asked to acknowledge that "this agreement cannot be rescinded, except in the sole discretion of the [AGENCY HEAD], which shall not be subject to review at the Merit Systems Protection Board or otherwise."
The language indicates that federal agencies would be able to rescind the agreement, and that employees would not have the opportunity to appeal.
The sample contract agreement also asks employees to waive their right to "pursue through any judicial, administrative, or other process, any action against [AGENCY] that is based on, arising from, or related to Employee's employment at [AGENCY] or the deferred resignation offer" – and to similarly waive any claim that might be brought on their behalf by a labor union or other entity. …”
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I can get why a person unhappy in their job would take a chance on this offer but the terms make it seem almost illusory.
No. But if no Republicans are going to stand up then its critical for the opposition to get going. It seems to me the Democrats/opposition is extremely slow. I really think there is going to be a need for getting into the streets to stop the takeover. Once it gets beyond a point, it can't be reversed.
To be clear. No I don't consider Collins to be much help.......but disappointing.
Taking it to the streets is absolutely the last thing to do now. That time could come as a last resort but it will almost certainly be a failure. Right now we have to give both the Congress and courts a chance to do whatever they are willing to do. Anything else would just provide public cover for a crackdown on "violent" protesters. They'd love a chance for payback over Jan 6.
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“… The decision to not include CISA employees in the deferred resignation offer comes on the heels of comments from newly-installed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who said at her confirmation hearing that CISA needs to be “much more effective, smaller, more nimble, to really fulfill their mission.”
In November, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Politico he would like to “eliminate” CISA. Paul recently took over as chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the agency.
Paul is unlikely to successfully cut CISA because many Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle value its mission. However, in recent years some have expressed concerns about how CISA functions and demanded reforms, particularly around how the agency handles misinformation. …”
BlooVooDoo
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Given how poorly worded these communications have been, the inclusion of language about rescission and waiver of appeals is a massive red flag.
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I'm also excluded from the deferred resignation program
they want the remote workers to resign but many are gonna travel to job sites and it's irritating the shit out of the top brass
they want the remote workers to resign but many are gonna travel to job sites and it's irritating the shit out of the top brass
I am talking about peaceful protests. Don't see much of that. I do understand there is something today at 5:00 in multi cities. Good.
Congress and the Courts need a signal from the American people. They are not going to resist until they get that signal. But we can wait until there is an actual grab for power as in South Korea.
I'm betting there are false flag "protesters" that would push those peaceful protests in the wrong direction. That ignores there are those who are just idiots. It's not like our side doesn't have them.
superrific
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I know this is going to be shocking news, but the OPM memo about union rights is . . . bullshit. Here is the relevant statute, section 7106(b) (which the memo cites as authority in its favor, somehow):
Nothing in this section shall preclude any agency and any labor organization from negotiating—
(1) at the election of the agency, on the numbers, types, and grades of employees or positions assigned to any organizational subdivision, work project, or tour of duty, or on the technology, methods, and means of performing work;
I don't know how much clearer the statute could be in saying that telework is a subject for bargaining.
Nothing in this section shall preclude any agency and any labor organization from negotiating—
(1) at the election of the agency, on the numbers, types, and grades of employees or positions assigned to any organizational subdivision, work project, or tour of duty, or on the technology, methods, and means of performing work;
I don't know how much clearer the statute could be in saying that telework is a subject for bargaining.
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The squeeze is on ...
"...“Please know that I empathize with the tough decisions you each are having to make,” wrote Erv Koehler, assistant commissioner of general supplies and services at GSA, in the email. “Please focus on making the best decision for you and your particular situation.”
Koehler wrote that GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “is being asked” to cut its program by 50 percent, reflective of agency management’s goal to halve the size of its staff, according to two people familiar with internal conversations, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share private discussions.
... Cheered on by Elon Musk — the world’s richest man, who is now running the Department of Government Efficiency out of a White House office — the offer went out last week with a deadline of this Thursday. Musk’s allies are also now running GSA, which manages real estate and some procurement and information technology across the federal government. ..."
Federal layoffs ‘likely’ if too few employees choose to quit, memo says
Workers have until Thursday to decide whether to take an offer to resign now and be paid through the end of September."...“Please know that I empathize with the tough decisions you each are having to make,” wrote Erv Koehler, assistant commissioner of general supplies and services at GSA, in the email. “Please focus on making the best decision for you and your particular situation.”
Koehler wrote that GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “is being asked” to cut its program by 50 percent, reflective of agency management’s goal to halve the size of its staff, according to two people familiar with internal conversations, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share private discussions.
... Cheered on by Elon Musk — the world’s richest man, who is now running the Department of Government Efficiency out of a White House office — the offer went out last week with a deadline of this Thursday. Musk’s allies are also now running GSA, which manages real estate and some procurement and information technology across the federal government. ..."