The Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee said the only power Congress has regarding efforts to streamline the federal bureaucracy through job cuts by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is to complain.
"This is an executive branch decision; who works for the executive branch is determined by the president of the United States," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters, according to RadioIowa. "The Constitution says all executive power of the federal government shall be vested, and that's the word that's used, vested in the office of the presidency."
Grassley was referring to Article II, Section 1, Clause 1 of the Constitution that states: "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America."
"Congress can't do anything except complain about it," he said, "but I think we have to have sympathy and understanding for people that are laid off."
More than 9,500 federal employees have been fired as of Friday, according to Reuters, and with the approximately 75,000 employees who have taken voluntary buyouts, the total represents about 4% of the 2.3 million civilian workforce.
On Feb. 5, Democrat Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mark Warner of Virginia and Betty McCollum of Minnesota wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Director of National Intelligence Lora Shiao expressing alarm that the Trump administration's actions are eroding the federal government's merit-based civil service system and that it poses significant risks to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
But many Republicans also are concerned about the effects the layoffs will be having on their constituents.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., warned the White House that dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development could hurt Kansans who sell their crops to a government program that fights hunger abroad, according to Politico, and the staff of Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, wants answers about how an Office of Management and Budget-directed hiring freeze could affect the National Parks Service.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who earlier this month praised Musk for "draining the swamp," on Saturday criticized the potential firing of probationary FBI agents as counterproductive to law enforcement efforts in his state, according to Politico. And Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., warned that the administration's civil-servant culling could hurt energy projects and wildfire management in her state.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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