Washington (AP) – Thousands of kilometers from the Elon Musk office in the white house convoluted, a federal worker in the northwest of Pacific, wonders whether he should stop.
Musk, one of President Donald Trump’s most powerful consultants, has an unprecedented financial incentive for people to leave their state jobs, orchestrates, which promised for several months for their resignation. The worker, who spoke for fear of retaliation on the condition of anonymity, wants to take the money and move overseas.
But she is worried. What if the offer is too good to be true? What if this is really a hidden effort to create a list of illoyal government employees?
Your situation is a microcosm of uncertainty, which is through the federal government, which is the country’s largest employer. More than 2 million workers – analysts, nurses, scientists, auditors, food inspectors and credit processors – are exposed to a period from 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday to decide whether to leave.
The Trump administration calls on the workers to complete the deal
The deported cancellation program is part of Trump’s plan to redesign the federal government, and is weakening what allies calls the “deep state” that undermined the Republican President during his first term. Administrative officers said that they can save tax money by presenting employees a “valuable opportunity in the lifetime” not to work anymore, while they collect a salary check by September 30th.
On Wednesday, the administration increased its pressure on the employees to go and sent a memory that layoffs or vacation could come next.
“The majority of the federal authorities are likely to be reduced by restructuring, realignments and cuts in violence,” said the message of the Office for HR management, which was a connection with Musk’s efforts to reduce the government.
In the e -mail, everyone who remains is “loyal” and “is subject to improved standards of suitability and behavior if we develop further”. Some employees could be newly classified to limit the protection of the public service.
“Employees who are involved in illegal behavior or other misconduct are prioritized for adequate examinations and discipline, including termination,” says the e -mail.
Democrats and unions warn that the workers could become stiff
Democrats said that employees should not accept the deployed cancellation program because it was not approved by the congress, which increases the risk that they are not paid. The unions have sued to stop Trump’s plans, and a judge will consider whether the buyout offer should be blocked in Boston at a hearing on Thursday afternoon.
“It is a fraud and not buyout,” said Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Officer.
Kelley said he says to the workers: “If I were, I wouldn’t do it.”
An employee of the Ministry of Education, who also spoke for fear of retaliation on the condition of anonymity, said that the administration was desperate to make people sign the agreement. However, she said there were too many red flags, such as:
The deal is: “Exactly what it looks like,” says Trump officer
Trump put Musk, the richest man in the world, for the so -called Department of Government Efficiency, a comprehensive initiative to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. The original e -mail with the postponed cancellation program had the title “Fork in the Road” and repeated a similar message that Musk sent Twitter employee two years ago after bought the social media platform.
Trump management officers have organized questions about questions and employees with employees when the deadline approaches.
Rachel Oglesby, the chief of staff of the US Ministry of Education, who previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, said Trump attempts to reduce the federal employee.
“I know that there were many questions out there whether it is real and whether it is a trick,” she said, according to a recording preserved by the Associated Press. “And that’s exactly how it looks. It is one of the many instruments with which he tries to achieve the campaign promise to bring reforms to the public service and changes to DC. “
The problem was also discussed during a meeting with employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, as can be seen from a different recording of the AP. Marlon Taubenheim, a human resource officer, admitted that “these very difficult times are” and “there is a lot of stress”.
“Unfortunately we don’t have all the answers,” he said.
Jacqueline Ponti-Lazaruk, another head of the agency, said the employees “probably didn’t have the catwalk of the time that they might have liked to have made a life-changing decision.”
For those who stay, she said: “We will simply continue to join.”
The assurances of administrative officers have not alleviated concerns in a number of agencies. Some federal employees said they had not trusted the validity of the offers and doubted that Trump had the authority to train money. Others refer to its recording of inflexible companies as New York real estate mogul.
Musk’s plans drive demonstrations in Washington
Outside the federal buildings, scattered protests were created, also on Tuesday in the office for personnel management.
“I take a risk and I am brave and try to get more federal workers to take the risk of taking into account,” said Dante O’hara, who said he was working for the government. “” We will all work Losing and you will set all of these loyalists or people who will be their shock troops. “
Government jobs were often viewed as safe and sound positions, but O’Hara said there was fear in the workforce. The meaning of his colleagues is: “I don’t know if I will be here tomorrow because we don’t know what will happen.”
Dan Smith, a resident of Maryland, whose father was a research scientist at the US Agricultural Ministry, said that federal workers “are underestimated and so granted”.
“It is one thing to reduce the government. It’s one thing to wipe it out, “said Smith.” And that’s what’s going on. And that is exactly what is scary and disgusting and requires a setback. “
Mary-Jean Burke, a physiotherapist of the department for veteran affairs in Indianapolis, said that she was concerned that too many people would go and endanger health services.
Burke, who also serves as an union officer, said doubts have grown about whether they should accept the offer.
“Originally I think that people said:” I’m out of here, “she said. But then they saw a social media post from Doge, who said that the employees can go on vacation they always wanted , or simply films and simply films and watched chill while they receive their complete state payment and services. “
The news fell back because “something like that sounded a little too good to be true and people hesitated,” said Burke.
In any case, she said, Trump had achieved his obvious goal of lifting the federal employees.
“It’s something every day,” said Burke. “If he registered as a interferer, he does it.”
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Nancy Benac, Nathan Ellgren, Gary Fields, Joshua Goodman and Brian Witte contributed to this report.
