Walkinshaw, Blumenthal, Alsobrooks, and Van Hollen Introduce New Legislation To Protect Federal Workers' Right To Appeal Illegal and Unfair Firings

| Posted in Press Releases

U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA), U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today announced new legislation aimed at providing timely relief for federal workers who are illegally fired or experience other unjust prohibited personnel practices.The Fair Access to Swift and Timely (FAST) Justice Act provides federal workers with…

Walkinshaw Calls on Comer to Compel Vought to Testify Before Oversight Committee

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Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called on Chairman James Comer, to immediately hold a hearing with OMB Director Russ Vought on his threats to carry out mass firings at federal agencies during the Republican shutdown. “I urge you to schedule a hearing at the earliest possible opportunity and, if…

MSNBC: Trump seems to think only Democrats will feel pain during this government shutdown

| Posted in In the News

When asked by a reporter in a Tuesday news conference why a shutdown would necessitate laying off federal workers if the Department of Government Efficiency had been as effective as he claimed, President Donald Trump began with a lie: “When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs.” He followed that lie with a threat: “So, we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very…

Walkinshaw Calls Out Voughts Mass Layoff Threats As Illegal

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Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the following statement condemning OMB Director Russ Vought’s escalating threats to carry out mass firings of federal workers in the event of a government shutdown:“Russ Vought is giving away the game. He knows he has no legal authority to carry out mass…

ICYMI: Op-Ed by Rep. James Walkinshaw: Russ Vought's Directive to Fire Federal Workers During a Shutdown is Unconstitutional

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In an op-ed published by MSNBC on September 30, 2025, Congressman James Walkinshaw (VA-11) underscored how Russ Vought’s directive to fire federal workers during a shutdown is political intimidation, unconstitutional, and not valid administrative guidance. Read the op-ed below or online at MSNBC. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought wants Americans to…

Walkinshaw Demands Vought Provide Answers and Protections for IGs

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Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to defund the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), warning that the move represents a direct attack on independent oversight and accountability in government.In a letter to Office of Management…

Walkinshaw, Colleagues Press Administration for Answers on Cancellation of Federal EmployeeSurvey Essential for Government Oversight

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Today, Representative James Walkinshaw (VA-11.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), led 17 of their colleagues in pressing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for answers on its cancellation of the…

MSNBC Opinion: Russ Vought's directive to fire federal workers during a shutdown is illegal

| Posted in In the News

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought wants Americans to believe that in the event of a government shutdown, he and President Donald Trump have the power to fire swaths of federal employees at will. They cannot. Vought’s vindictive memo, directing agencies to consider reductions in force (RIFs) for employees in programs whose funding would lapse under a shutdown, reads…

Walkinshaw Slams Trump - Vought Shutdown Tactics

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Fairfax, VA — Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, slammed Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought’s memo threatening to terminate additional federal employees. Walkinshaw released the following statement:“This is absolute bluster and bs. The Trump Administration has already done…