Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., slammed the Trump administration’s shutdown memo threatening federal workers’ jobs, calling it illegal blackmail that harms American people and services.
A Senate Democrat ripped President Donald Trump for a recently released memo that detailed mass firings in the event of a shutdown, and accused the president of engaging in «mafia-style blackmail.»
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., railed against the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo sent to federal agencies this week that outlined a plan to reduce employees across the government beyond those that are typically furloughed.
While the House passed a short-term funding extension last week, Senate Republicans and Democrats are at odds over the bill. The deadline to fund the government is Sept. 30, and so far, no progress has been made to reach an agreement to keep the lights on.
Van Hollen charged that Trump «is engaged in mafia-style blackmail, with his threats ultimately harming the American people», and likened the OMB’s memo to actions taken by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year that led to tens of thousands of federal employees being either fired or incentivized to retire or take a buyout.
