US government agencies promised to massive layoffs, bleeding for the environmental protection agency – Liberation
The White House asked all of the American federal agencies on Wednesday to prepare to prepare massive dismissals of civil servants in « Eliminating the positions that are not necessary ». Recalling that it was a campaign promise by Donald Trump, the director of the Directors and Budget Office (OMB) Russell Vought asked the federal agencies to set up a starting window, not to replace the scheduled departures and to separate from the employees considered as « Insufficient efficient ».
This circular nevertheless provides for exceptions, in favor of the police, agencies responsible for migration policy, postal services as well as the armed forces. It also provides a specific calendar for agencies « Providing direct services to citizens », Citing in particular the pension system, the health system for the most disadvantaged and the elderly, as well as the health system in favor of veterans.
For all the others, the calendar provides for a first phase by March 13 during which agencies will have to reduce the number of their subsidiaries, a list of needs necessary to strictly meet their mission and the list of employees who are not considered essential. The second phase, by April 14, must highlight the new organization of each agency, take stock of the employee performance assessment and in particular consider the relocation of some of them to « cheaper regions » than the Washington Federal Capital.
The US government has launched a first starting plan, driven by billionaire Elon Musk, offering federal employees to leave their jobs in exchange for maintaining their salary over more than six months. More than 75,000 employees accepted it, according to the White House, out of a total of about two million.
Among the agencies in danger, we find in particular the American environmental protection agency. This Wednesday during the first meeting of his cabinet, Donald Trump announced an objective of reducing approximately two thirds of the enrollment of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Known for its climatosceptic positionsthe American president reported a conversation he had with the administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, in which the latter estimated that he « Would reduce staff by around 65 % ». The agency employed more than 15,000 people in 2024, according to data published on its official website.
This is one more gesture of the new American power in his radical questioning of the fight against climate change, when he also seeks to drastically slash in public spending. From the day of his inauguration a little over a month ago, Donald Trump had signed a decree aimed at disengaging the United States from the Paris climate agreement-as he had done during his first mandate. A measure, coming from the second world pollutor behind China, which jeopardizes global efforts in the face of climate change. It should be effective in a year.
The same day, the Republican President had also decreed a « Energy emergency » to boost oil and gas production in the United States and hold His promise to « Forer to all-VA »,, A formula that has become one of his campaign slogans (« We Will Drill, Baby, Drill »).
