Ranking Member Huffman Blasts Mass Firings at Interior, Forest Service

Huffman warns of severe impacts to vital services for tribes, wildfire mitigation, water availability

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released a statement regarding the mass firings of as many as 5,700 employees across the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.

“This slash and burn approach to governing is an all-out attack on thousands of real, hardworking Americans who’ve dedicated their lives to keeping our air breathable, our water drinkable, and our national treasures protected from corporate greed. By indiscriminately firing civil servants, the Trump administration is marching in lockstep with the extremist playbook of Project 2025, clearing a path for polluters to feast on our public lands with no oversight and leaving tribes and communities in the lurch,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “Make no mistake: this purge is part of a brazen power grab designed to obliterate decades of progress, and it’s going to have devastating consequences nationwide. 

“These mass layoffs will virtually shut down projects and programs that everyday folks depend on. Thousands of firefighters have lost their jobs, leaving us vulnerable right ahead of wildfire season. Tribal health care programs and education systems that were already dangerously short-staffed are being cut to shreds. American families will have to deal with the fallout of dirtier air, devastating wildfires, and irreparable damage to our natural resources.

“The lives and livelihoods of hardworking government employees aren’t some expendable pawn in Trump’s political games. The ripple effect in communities across the country from these mass layoffs will be crippling – and House Democrats will not stand by silently.” 
 

BACKGROUND

Indian Health Service (IHS) Cutbacks 
At this moment, the White House has laid off nearly 1,000 IHS employees, yet it remains unclear whether frontline medical professionals—such as physicians, nurses, and pharmacists—will be spared. 

Tribal Agencies and Department of the Interior
The layoffs impact at least 2,300 Interior employees. The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) faces a one-third reduction of its administrative workforce, and Haskell Indian Nations University is losing 24 percent of its staff, jeopardizing its accreditation.

Threat to Wildland Firefighters and Communities 
Climate change is fueling increasingly catastrophic wildfires, and the upcoming fire season is projected to be among the most dangerous yet. Staff reductions threaten to undercut the capacity of federal agencies to fight wildfires without the necessary personnel—leaving vulnerable communities at an even greater risk of devastating fire events.

Our Nation’s Energy Resources Undermined
Sweeping layoffs at the Department of Interior threaten to undercut vital agencies responsible for managing our nation’s energy resources and protecting workers. Cuts to the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management risk delaying energy projects – including renewable energy developments that are key to addressing the climate crisis. This is especially ironic considering Republican claims to support American energy “dominance” and improved permitting timelines.

Strain at National Parks Nationwide 
The National Park Service will fire roughly 1,000 probationary employees. Visitors at Yosemite National Park are already experiencing chaos in the parks directly tied to Trump’s federal hiring freeze, rescinded job offers, and looming layoffs.  

National Wildlife Refuges
Firings among refuge managers risk closure of key refuges, undermining vital research, sportsmen’s access, and conservation initiatives. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, for instance, staff cuts threaten to halt on-site research operations that legally require a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service presence according to some reports. 

Bureau of Reclamation 
Reckless firings at the Bureau of Reclamation raise serious concerns about disruptions to water deliveries and the continued safe, effective management of hundreds of dams, reservoirs, and other essential water infrastructure serving millions of Americans.
 

This is a developing situation, and details surrounding these ruthless layoffs are still emerging. 

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