Instead of boycotting President Trump’s address to Congress, some Democratic lawmakers are inviting former federal workers as guests to protest mass firings and funding cuts under his administration. Representative Brad Schneider emphasized that these actions harm everyday Americans. Among the invitees are veterans Adam Mulvey and Gabriel D’Alatri, both recently terminated from their roles. Democratic leaders, including Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Chrissy Houlahan, also invited veterans who lost their jobs, aiming to humanize the impact of government cuts. Meanwhile, a White House spokesman accused Democrats of exploiting the situation for political gain.
Instead of boycotting President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, some Democratic lawmakers are hosting former federal employees at the speech on Tuesday as a form of protest against the significant layoffs and budget cuts that have marked Mr. Trump’s first month back in office.
The treatment of federal workers by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has galvanized constituents nationwide in recent weeks, with many inundating lawmakers’ phone lines and attending town halls to express their dissatisfaction.
“What the Democrats are demonstrating with our guests is that it’s the American people who are affected by the actions of Elon Musk and Donald Trump,” stated Representative Brad Schneider, a Democrat from Illinois. Mr. Schneider decided to attend the address—unlike other Democrats such as Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, who have stated they will not attend—so that the president “doesn’t get a free pass” and understands the ramifications his administration has had on citizens.
When approached for a comment, White House spokesman Harrison Fields mentioned that Democrats were “exploiting the American people for political points.”
Mr. Schneider’s guest, Adam Mulvey, is a veteran with 20 years of service in the Army, who was let go in February from his position as an emergency management specialist at a federal health center in North Chicago that caters to both veterans and active-duty personnel.
Another invitee is Gabriel D’Alatri, a Marine Corps veteran and former project manager at the Internal Revenue Service from Connecticut, who was terminated just five days before finishing his probationary period. Mr. D’Alatri said his termination notice claimed he was fired for “performance issues,” despite having never received a negative performance review.
“It was a shock to me and my family,” said Mr. D’Alatri, who will be attending Mr. Trump’s address as a guest of his representative, Joe Courtney, a Democrat from Connecticut. In his role as an I.R.S. project manager, Mr. D’Alatri oversaw the department’s facilities in Connecticut and coordinated reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. He expressed that he had voted for Mr. Trump in the previous election but felt it was too soon to determine if he regretted that decision.
Mr. Courtney remarked that his constituent’s experience exemplified how “indiscriminate and mindless” the Trump administration’s cuts have been.
Mr. D’Alatri expressed his hope that by sharing his story and attending the address, the Trump administration would enact an executive order to reinstate all veterans who were on probation and terminated en masse.
“I like to believe that veterans should be a nonpolitical issue,” Mr. D’Alatri stated. “To be discarded like that was something I didn’t anticipate.”
Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democrat minority leader from New York, has invited Alissa Ellman, a disabled Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. Mr. Schumer noted that she was recently dismissed from her position at the Veterans Affairs Department in Buffalo.
“This is not how we treat our veterans — it’s not just unacceptable; it’s un-American,” Mr. Schumer said in a statement. “Employment and care for our veterans in Upstate New York is not government waste.”
Representative Chrissy Houlahan, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, extended an invitation to Jessica Malarik Fair, a constituent who worked as an architect at Valley Forge National Park, focusing on the restoration of George Washington’s office in preparation for the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.
“I hope people recognize that these are real human beings, not just statistics that can be arbitrarily discarded,” said Ms. Houlahan, “and that they represent work that will no longer be done on behalf of all of us.”
Ms. Malarik Fair, who also lost her job last month during the probationary employee firings, hopes to serve as another face to humanize the federal workforce for the American public.
“I take pride in my work there, and I’m far from corrupt or lazy,” she stated.
Here’s what else to be aware of:
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Rubio dispatches arms to Israel: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invoked “emergency authorities” to bypass Congress and dispatch $4 billion in weaponry to Israel. This represents the second time in a month that the Trump administration has circumvented congressional approval for arms transfers to the nation. While announcing the decision on Saturday, Mr. Rubio provided no explanation for the emergency authority being invoked, stating only that the Trump administration would “continue to utilize all available resources to uphold America’s longstanding commitment to Israel’s security, including measures to counter security threats.” Read more >