‘We’re in uncharted territory’; Huffman’s bill to block federal firings

‘We’re in uncharted territory’; Huffman’s bill to block federal firings ‘We’ve never seen a president act so recklessly to try to hollow it out and undermine its ability to carry out core government responsibilities,’ Congressman says

August 11, 2025

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee Democrats announced that ranking member Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) had introduced legislation “to prevent politically-motivated workforce reductions at the Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Department of Energy (DOE).”

The legislation — co-introduced in the House by Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), with companion bills in the Senate introduced by Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) — would call for “an immediate moratorium on reductions in force (RIFs)” at the aforementioned federal natural resources agencies “so employees are protected while Congress conducts oversight and evaluates long-term workforce needs.”

The proposed legislation follows mass-firings throughout the federal government early in the year — including at agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. Those firings have prompted concerns about wildfire response, safety and maintenance of public lands and the administration’s commitment to the future existence of public lands and institutions like national parks.

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By:  Robert Schaulis
Source: Eureka Times-Standard