How Trump, Musk, & DOGE’s Attacks on Federal Workers Hurts All of Us

Total Firings: over 100 staff; plans to remove nearly all of its 1,700 staff

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• Enforcement of regulations that prevent banks, lenders, and other financial institutions from engaging in predatory and discriminatory practices
• Pursuit of consumer redress, civil monetary penalties, and enforcement actions
• Enforcement of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibiting creditors from discriminating against credit applicants
• Address the hurdles domestic violence survivors face to their credit when leaving an abusive situation.
• Address harmful data broker practices that invade our privacy and violate our rights.

Gutting the CFPB would make it easier for banks, credit card companies, for-profit colleges, and other financial institutions to take advantage of or discriminate against U.S. consumers.

Total Firings: Thousands of layoffs have already happened at USDA, and 12,104 probationary employees at risk of easy dismissal if the agency wants to cut staff further.

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
• Food Aid Program
• Food Distribution Disaster Assistance Program
• National School Lunch Program
• Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Summer Food Service Program
• Emergency Food Assistance Program
• Food Safety Recalls and Research

Firings at USDA could disrupt the provision of nutrition assistance to women, children, and families with low incomes who face food insecurity, disaster relief, and the nation’s response to the bird flu epidemic.

Total Firings: At least 20,000, including 10,000 pushed into early retirements.

Firings from March 27 announcement:

• Food and Drug Administration: 3,500 full-time employees—or about 19% of the agency’s workforce.  

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 2,400 employees —or about 18% of its workforce. 

• National Institutes of Health: 1,200 employees—or about 6% of its workforce.   

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: 300 employees—or about 4% of its workforce. 

Other announcements of past firings:

• National Institute of Health: 2,000 staff
• Centers for Disease Control: 1,300 staff
• Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care: 20% of staff 

Total Firings: 6,000

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• Tax filing support for middle and low-income taxpayers
• Enforcement against wealthy tax cheats
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Child Tax Credit (CTC)

Total Firings: Unreported

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Federal labor law compliance
• Family and Medical Leave guidance
• Women’s Bureau
• National Database of Childcare Prices
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Department of Labor is tasked with ensuring workers’ safety and rights, as well as their employers’ compliance with federal labor laws.

Total Firings: 50% of all staff (planned)

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• The Office of Community Planning and Development
• Affordable housing programs
• Homelessness interventions
• Disaster recovery programs
• Housing assistance
• Housing inspections

These firings will lead to longer waitlists for housing assistance; inspection delays; delays in payments to landlords and vendors, risking evictions; delays in critical disaster aid; closing homeless shelters; and housing discrimination.

Total Firings: 7,000 (planned)

Offices and Programs Potentially Impacted:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits
• Medicare Parts A and B

These firings threaten the smooth operation of one of the most efficient and important government agencies, upon which millions of people rely.