Federal workers tell their DOGE stories in new audio series
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A dozen current and former federal employees detail how DOGE gutted their workplaces in a new audio series released Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: The testimonials are from folks who've worked inside agencies responsible for the health and safety of millions of Americans — including a scientist who studies hepatitis C at the CDC, an FAA employee who supports air traffic controllers and a VA worker who counsels veterans.
- They warn that mass firings will have devastating consequences for real people.
Zoom in: The series is called "I Do Solemnly Swear," based on the oath that federal workers take to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..."
- The 16 short audio clips were put together by Federal Workers Against DOGE, a group that now comprises about 2,000 current and former federal employees and their allies.
- It's grown quickly from its origins as a Signal thread, and especially as the federal government has ramped back up the pace of firing, says Aisha Coffey, the group's spokesperson, who was just fired on Monday from her job at HHS, along with thousands of her colleagues.
Testimonials are anonymous, but Coffey says the group vetted each person and the background of all its members.
- The point here is not to highlight the personal impact of mass layoffs. "Layoffs happen everywhere," Coffey says. "The idea behind the series is to make people understand what services and protections they're losing."
Between the lines: By firing thousands of devoted federal employees, the White House has created a burgeoning and passionate opposition group.
What they're saying: An IRS employee says there will be less policing of tax cheats. "It sends a huge signal that it is going to be OK not to pay your taxes."
- The FAA employee: "If you asked me today if I would feel safe getting on a plane in this country, I would say, yes," she says. "Ask me that question again in six months, and I might give you a different answer."
- "The impact of this is going to be so detrimental to the American worker," says an employee at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, whose job it is to keep workers safe — from factory employees to firefighters and mine workers.
- "They're trying to bring more factory work back to the United States. And if you're removing the people who can help you set that up in a safe way, you're going to end up with a lot of really sick people."
The other side: The White House has said repeatedly that it is making job cuts in the name of efficiency.
- "Many presidents have promised, but none other than President Trump has delivered to actually make government more efficient and root out waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington, and that mission is moving full steam ahead," White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in an email.
