Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Congressional Republicans face challenges balancing support for President Donald Trump's government layoffs and constituent concerns.
- Protests erupted nationwide, targeting Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's downsizing efforts.
- Utah's Rep. Blake Moore and Sen. Mike Lee acknowledge concerns but emphasize the need for efficiency.
WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are balancing their rhetoric after the Trump administration ordered the termination of thousands of government jobs over the past week, acknowledging frustration from those in the federal workforce while backing the president's efforts to rein in spending.
The Trump administration ordered officials to begin layoffs last week, mostly targeting probationary employees in agencies such as Veterans Affairs, the Department of Energy, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management. Because the layoffs targeted probationary employees, it has mostly affected new hires or long-standing employees who have been recently moved or promoted to a new position.
The layoffs prompted widespread backlash over the weekend, with thousands of people gathering for protests across the country on Monday to mark "Not my Presidents Day." Protesters held gatherings from the streets of Washington, D.C., all the way to the state Capitol in Salt Lake City to push back on the order.
The protests particularly targeted billionaire Elon Musk and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which has led the effort to identify wasteful spending and downsize the federal government.
The public outcry has now put some Republicans in a bind as they seek to strike a balance between supporting their constituents who may now find themselves out of work while also promoting President Donald Trump's agenda.
Republicans toe the line
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, acknowledged that several of his constituents have expressed "frustration" about the "rhetoric toward and vilification of the federal workforce," especially since Musk took over the Department of Government Efficiency and promised to clean house.
Moore represents Utah's 1st Congressional District, with one of the most dense federal workforce populations in the country. As of December 2024, the 1st District is home to 26,555 federal workers — making up almost 6% of the entire workforce, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Most of those workers are employed by Hill Air Force Base, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Forest Service, or other federal agencies. Hill Air Force Base, one of the largest employers in the district, has not reported any civilian or military layoffs.
Although Moore conceded the coming months will be a "period of angst and even contention," the Utah Republican assured constituents the country could "come out of it for the better."
"My commitment to this … is to find waste while preserving the mission and strengthening personnel," Moore, who serves as co-chairman of the congressional caucus working in tandem with the Department of Government Efficiency, wrote in a district newsletter. "Many key function areas are severely understaffed, like air traffic controllers, and I want First District constituents to know that I avoid the rhetoric and focus on results."
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, similarly acknowledged that layoffs are personally significant and that constituents will, of course, have concerns when those occur.
However, the Utah senator told the Deseret News he believes the layoffs are a necessary step in the Trump administration's efforts to cut down on costs.
"The U.S. government, having gotten in the pattern of just printing more money when it doesn't have enough, has created a really unsustainable path for itself," Lee told the Deseret News in an interview. "I don't think it's unreasonable for the incoming administration to want to look at inefficiencies that have creeped into the system and, in many circumstances, offer a sort of a severance package for those who want to exit."
Lee pointed to the "explosive growth" over the last several decades that he argues has led to an "unmitigated expansion of the federal government, of its scope, its cost, its reach and the size of its workforce."
Republicans carefully push back against layoffs
While Trump and those in his close circles continue to champion his efforts to cut down on governmental waste, some GOP lawmakers have pushed back against the way it's being carried out.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents one of the most competitive House districts in the country, argued the layoffs were being handled too quickly without adequate preparation.
"They're being a little rash, (they) aren't thinking through all the consequences," Bacon told the Deseret News. "It needs to be more thought out. … It just seems like they're moving too fast and they're making mistakes. It needs to be more thoughtful."
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., posed similar criticisms, specifically voicing concerns about layoffs possibly affecting FBI agents.
"I am all for efficiency and ultimately downsizing the federal government, but firing large numbers of new FBI agents is not the way to achieve this," Cassidy said in a post on X. "Louisiana specifically benefits from newly hired FBI agents. We need to add to our law enforcement, not take away."
It's not yet clear how many workers have been terminated across the federal workforce over the last week. However, there are hundreds of thousands of workers who are listed under probationary status, possibly putting them at risk.
About 220,000 federal employees were listed as probationary with less than one year of service as of March 2024, with another 288,000 who held between one and two years of service. Probationary periods typically last one or two years, although it varies by department.
