Seattle federal workers to rally against Trump administration layoffs

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Rally against federal job cuts held in Seattle

With signs in hand, people of all ages spent Presidents' Day downtown protesting the Trump administration's recent federal spending cuts.

More than 85,000 federal workers are out of a job as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to significantly reduce the size of the federal government.

What we know:

Of those affected, 10,000 were laid off, while another 75,000 accepted buyouts. The cuts amount to nearly 4% of the federal workforce and impact a range of agencies, including the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the IRS, and the Department of Agriculture.

At the Department of Agriculture alone, 25% of personnel overseeing the bird flu outbreak were let go Tuesday morning.

Some workers, however, are pushing back. The union representing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed a lawsuit to block the layoffs.

In Seattle and across the country, federal employees are rallying to protest the cuts. Organizers are calling it the "Rally to Save Our Civil Services," with workers from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Labor expected to participate.

What they're saying:

"We’re the canaries in the gold mine, federal workers are on the defensive right now, they’re really coming hard for us, but everyone is going to feel the effects of the destruction of civil service very soon," said Liz Devleming, a field attorney who helped organize the rally.

Cathy Payne rallied with her son Ryan Tack-Hooper and his 8-year-old son.

"They are in general highly qualified capable people who want to serve our country and firming them without regard of who they are or their contributions is an enormous mistake," Tack-Hooper said.

"We are here today to stand up and be loud and be proud," Payne said.

Hundreds gathered in front of the federal building on Monday.

"It’s going to be a dark day for all of us when things start falling apart if we don’t save the civil service right now," Devleming said.

Big picture view:

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is calling for a budget hearing with Elon Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency, regarding the cuts and agency closures. She argues that Musk’s leadership is dismantling entire federal agencies, eliminating essential programs, and forcing workers out of their jobs.

Musk has defended the cuts, saying they reflect the reforms Americans voted for and that without changes, the federal government would face bankruptcy.

The rally in Seattle kicked off at noon at Henry M. Jackson Federal Building.

The Source: Information in this story was from the Associated Press and a press release from organizers behind Save Our Civil Service. 

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