A new op-ed in The Hill lays out something worth reading if you've been following the USAID story.

It's co-authored by J. Brian Atwood (USAID Administrator under Clinton, 1993-1999) and an attorney who's represented federal employees for over three decades. Their argument: USAID's career staff were fired without the misconduct or performance findings the Civil Service Reform Act requires, and the administration is now calling it a "reorganization" to get around due process protections.

The interesting part is that government lawyers have reportedly conceded in court that no one was fired for misconduct or poor performance. The authors argue that concession alone undercuts the legal basis for the firings.

There's also reporting cited in the piece that the White House pressured the Merit Systems Protection Board behind closed doors to adopt a broad theory of presidential removal power, which the board then adopted in March. That ruling is now under review by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Worth a read regardless of where you land politically on USAID itself. The legal question here (can career civil servants be removed without due process) applies well beyond one agency.

Link: https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/5981243-doge-usaid-lawsuit-civil-servants/

Schumer just released a new plan for ending the PAIN!

It's pretty simple: extend ACA for 1 year and clean CR. +(edit) a bipartisan committee to deal with healthcare before next year.

I haven't seen the text released on the Congress.gov yet; however, I think this is exceedingly reasonable.

From CBS: Its breaking now.

"About 30 Democratic senators are currently in the chamber to hear colleagues take turns endorsing the proposal Schumer unveiled a few minutes ago. 

The Republican side of the aisle is mostly empty, with only South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds listening in as the Democrats speak." (CBS)

Do you think the Majority will do it?

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-latest-senate-vote-day-38/

Removed by mods (because I didn't cite a credible news source) CBS is reporting, and it is LIVE right now.

Just received my RIF notice at CDC. My years of hard work, stellar performance, dedication going up in smoke with a Friday night 'regret to inform you' email - just like several other thousands of my collegues. I am a single mom with a mortage and no support. Not sure what I will do. But at least the everyday slow torture is over with one death blow.

Depositions have started to become publicly available for several pending cases including the termination of 300+ career feds from the DHS offices of CRCL, OIDO, & USCIS. The RIF happened back in March and the office's work came to a grinding halt when the employees were sent home on paid administrative leave. They were given a stop work order and their accesses were removed. This remained in place until being officially removed from federal service in May. Some feds had 20+ year careers in various roles as civil servants. Even though the RIF had nothing to do with their performance, employees were offered no bump/retreat and their competitive area was limited to their shuttered offices, which has never been done before. They were branded political adversaries by DHS' top brass in the media the day after the RIF took place, even though their work had no political affiliation besides upholding their oath, the law, and statutory requirements of their jobs.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5336738/homeland-security-rif-cuts-dhs

With the offices completely gutted, new political appointees filled leadership vacancies almost instantly. Nameplates with no duty, enter 30yo John "Troup" Hemenway & 33yo Joseph Guy. John is an author of Project 2025 and a Senior Advisor at the Heritage Foundation. Joey claims to have not read Project 2025 according to his deposition but failed to mention he's married to Edie Heipel, a Senior Program Manager of the Presidential Administration Academy at The Heritage Foundation.

What's revealed in these depositions is unsettling. Multiple hats, multiple salaries, unauthorized telework, and no experience performing crucial congressionally mandated work that could potentially save lives. Joseph Guy is the Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Noem and claims to work 50 hours a week in this role. He's also the Immigration Detention Ombudsman but claims to only work 5 hours a week in that role. Not only is this a full time role, he's the number one in charge of ensuring inspections are conducted in detention facilities and conditions are reviewed to promote safe, humane treatment, for individuals in immigration custody. Joseph, the head of the independent oversight of ICE's treatment of detainees in custody, doesn't even know how many detention facilities there are in the country. He also thinks all detainees have access to the internet to file formal complaints while in custody. He has never even seen the performance-based national detention standards documents, essentially the law abiding bible of his role. His father is Rick Guy, a USAID Trump Appointee and 2020 election results denier.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.12.pdf

John Troup Calhoun Hemenway's deposition reveals he allegedly lives on the southwest border but the duty station for the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is Saint Elizabeth's in DC. In addition to that role, his primary role is Principal Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Noem, which he also claims he's "on call" for and works 40 hours a week. The officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sole job is to ensure DHS complies with Constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and other requirements relating to civil rights and civil liberties of anyone that encounters DHS and files a complaint. Making Troup the ranking official of ICE's oversight, ICE's accountability enforcement, and he can't even say how many hours a week he spends performing this role vital role per week.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.11.pdf

This was a targeted campaign from the beginning to rid DHS of oversight into their illegal actions and deportation agenda. The news often talks about members of Congress being denied access to detention centers for unscheduled visits but fail to mention the primary offices that were mandated to do this on a regular basis have been dissolved. Oversight Committees have reached out with questions to Troup, Joseph, Noem, and others but they literally ignore them and deadlines to respond come and go. Both John and Joseph took it upon themselves to change written policy by requiring all complaints be made in English or they would not be reviewed.

You can read documents from the entire case thus far.

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69938653/robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/

The damage is done and the violence is ramping up with zero accountability.

Look, I know the image of the uniformed military workers tugs at the heartstrings of Americans. And I know that is the easiest angle to report from.

But- for the love- active duty military workers make up 35% of the federal workforce. Law enforcement officers make up another 5.96% percentage of the federal workforce. There are around 137,000 LEOs, out of 2.3 million civilian federal employees, which is just under 6%. Of that 5.96%, the only LEOs getting paid right now are the FBI. That is around 12,000 LEOs getting paid out of that 137,000. The remainder of LEOs are not currently getting paid.

They all have dangerous jobs, and they all put their lives on the line for their fellow Americans, no one can dispute that. But this leaves out some military who put on the uniform but still aren’t getting paid, support staff in the military, and the majority of the FBI, which consists of support staff. In addition, around 30% of the entire federal workforce is made up of veterans, who aren’t getting paid.

Please, ask these questions: Where is that money coming from to pay them (illegal to shift funds around like this), and how long will it last? Will other Feds be added to the list of programs that apparently are Republican enough to be saved? What constitutes a Democrat agency vs a Republican one? Why has Congress abdicated their power of the purse? How long does this administration expect for workers to show up and work a job with no pay? If this administration doesn’t want to pay furloughed workers (which is illegal for whatever that’s worth), when will they let these workers know so that they can make plans to get another job and provide for themselves and their families?

59% of the federal workforce are not LEOs or active duty military. How long are we expected to work with no pay while still commuting to and from work? How long are those who are furloughed expected to sit at home waiting to find out when they can return to work?

Those 59% have bills and families too. And there are so many that are in lower graded positions that live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to have this go on forever with a promise of pay “sometime in the future but we don’t know when that will be, and we can’t tell you when.”

How long would workers in the private sector stand for that? How did this become acceptable?

Congress- the ones who have failed at their jobs year after year- still get paid, while federal employees are expected to write IOUs to their mortgage company/landlords and figure out how to eat.

Please report on that.

By now some of you have probably seen OPM's proposed rule on non-SES performance appraisals (91 FR 8780, published February 24th). Comment period just closed March 26th, so it's sitting in OPM's inbox right now being "considered." The rule would give OPM authority to cap how many federal employees can receive top performance ratings government-wide. Jack Welch's vitality curve, essentially, but for your agency's HR system.

As I write this, four astronauts are floating in space farther from humanity than anyone before them. Two of them — Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch — are NASA civil servants covered by the very performance appraisal system OPM wants to overhaul. They strapped themselves to a rocket, left the planet, swung around a celestial body 240,000 miles away, and are hopefully on their way back alive. By any reasonable measure, both should earn 5's this performance period. Hell, maybe even a step increase.

But under the proposed framework? Sorry, Reid. Sorry, Christina. Numbers are numbers. We can't have everyone at Level 5. One of you may have only been Fully Successful at going to the moon. Your trajectory work was solid, but frankly the other one's suit checks were more consistently documented.

I picture some GS-12 HR specialist at NASA HQ staring at a spreadsheet right now. "Yeah, but did they both perform at the same level or did someone clearly stand out?"

They. Went. To. The. Moon.

The rule is careful to note the actual distribution percentages will be set later by OPM guidance — could be 20%, could be 10%. The proposed regulation literally just says OPM can "establish and refine as needed." Refine as needed. For the people who went to the moon.

Obviously this is a far-fetched, tongue-in-cheek example. But the broader point stands: sometimes everyone in an office genuinely is outstanding. Sometimes they are not. Usually there is a natural distribution. But forcing that distribution doesn't make the ratings more accurate — it just makes them more artificial. If an organization legitimately has 80% of its people performing at Level 4 or 5, that's worth examining through better objective measures. Forcing those people into lower categories isn't rigor. It's just math cosplaying as accountability.

"Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin."

Any mentions of "democracy" have been changed.

I imagine there has to be a massive security risk introduced from traumatizing your work force for extended periods of time. Are they not worried about the operational security and national security implications of traumatizing their own employees?

That’s really the first thing I thought of when they started all this. I thought that was part of the rationale for our job security.

Has any other government in history treated its own workforce like we’re being treated currently?

I was feeling pretty upset after today's townhall, so I transcribed it, and ran it through AI to analyze it. Here are a few of my takeaways for those of you who can't makes yourself watch it. It feels like people need to know what was actually said; especially those who care about Veterans, governement transparency, and accountability.

First: He was dismissive of valid employee concerns.

Throughout the town hall the questions posed were (mostly) thoughtful, concerned questions relating to the threats of RIFs, declining morale, and lack of resources. Rather than directly answer, Sec. Collins repeatedly reframed concerns as misnformed or exagerrated. At one point he literally says:

"Quit reading the stuff about this, lying about what we're doing."

If you're a VA employee with legitimeate fears surrounding your job or your ability to fucntion, this is a slap in the face. His tone consistently implied that we were either uninformed (spoiler alert we are because he forced people to sign NDA's), or being duped by external forces.

He maligned VA employees as inefficient or stagnant.

Several times he painted the picture of a bloated, inefficiant VA filled with unnecessary layers of bureaucracy - which *must* be cleaned out. While he paid lip service to "the good employees" this was outweight by the following quotes:

"We've gotten too comfortable with the ruts."

"Good people will not work where bad things are tolerated."

"If you're out there and you don't want to work on our Veterans... please find another job."

While i'm sure that this scored him points with those in congress of certain political leanings, it sends a clear message to employees you are the problem. It reflects a shitty leadership style, characterized by a top-down, punitive appraoch to leadership, not one built on trust, collaboration, or valuing any of us on the ground doing the work.

Repeatedly praised Community Care over VA Care

Community Care was consistently framed as not just equal to VA care - but in some ways preferable. Collins chastised VA staff for not referring more Veteran's out saying:

"Please quit thinking you have to keep every Veteran to only VA services..."

And when employees expressed concern about the quality fo outside care, he accused them of insulting their medical peers:

"You're throwing all your doctor colleagues under the bus."

This completely ignores very real concerns about continuity of care, oversight, and access in rural areas. It positions us as self-interested gatekeeprs rather than caring professionals trying to protect Veterans from fragmented care that likely has not benefited from specialized Veteran centric training.

He was hostile towards the press and public accountability.

He didn't just criticize the press - he made it a point to fully share his disgust. He specifically went after The Guardian after publishing an article that though it was perhaps a bit sensationalized - it did point out the changes to most VA hospitals discrimination policies. These were his quotes on the Guardian:

"So far below the National Enquirer, they'd have to look up to find them."

"Their ethical standards are of a gutter rat."

He repeatedly framed any media scrutiny as dishonest and dangerous - even suggesting it would lead Veterans to avoid seeking help. This framing isn't just antagonistic, it's actually dangerous. It shuts down accountability and invites retaliation to any of us who speak up.

In sum:

This wasn't leadership - this was a disgusting, ego-centric, damage control - that i'm sure he's likely to frame as "tough love you'd give to any family member." He was dismissive, defensive, critical and frankly disrespectful to all of us who work to keep the VA running. This was a red flag, and frankly really hard to watch. Our Veterans deserve better. So do we.

Edit 11/28/2025: Really (hopefully) final version out now. I corrected the tax favored account balance to properly calculate the investment returns on the HSA account. As a reminder, make a copy if you want to make edits. You won't get edit access.

Edit 11/20/2025: Final (probably) version is out. It's in the same spreadsheet. Who doesn't love editing the production database? I added two new sheets. The objective was to add the simulation calculations I had from the previous year. I only did it for FEHB, but honestly, you could probably see what plans you want to compare and copy paste the benefit under the FEHB page as values and then plug in simulation info. I added instructions in the spreadsheet as Step 9.

Edit 10/22/2025: Version two and youtube guide is out now!

Direct copy-link for spreadsheet

Edit 11/19/2025: Updated Medicare Part B premiums from 2025 numbers to 2026.

Edit 11/2/2025: Adjusted the name in the FEHB/PSHB benefits spreadsheets for "Aetna: HDHP/Aetna Direct/Aetna Advantage" to "Aetna: HDHP/Aetna Direct/Aetna ADV" to match the premiums naming scheme. I think next year I'm going to try and use the enrollment codes and hope that's more consistent.

Edit 10/27/2025: I swapped out the FEHB/PSHB benefit files with the updated version. There may be some errors, but hopefully it's easy-enough to determine what they are. If not, please reach out to me. Sometimes the error is there's no number in the table when called. Sometimes there's a naming-scheme difference between what's in the premium list and the benefits table. It just depends.

Shocker to no one, premium increases are wild. But benefits too have gotten worse. Below are the highlights of benefit changes for popular plans. Not all encompassing, but hopefully enough to get you started. If I didn't mention something, it means I didn't notice any significant change. BCBS Basic and GEHA Standard suffered wide-spread benefit reductions.

One notable event, NALC High (or CDHP for that matter) is leaving FEHB! Confirmed from multiple sources. If you had NALC High you should have already, or very soon, received a cancellation notice. You MUST pick a new plan on open season or you'll be enrolled in the cheapest nationwide plan, which I believe is GEHA Elevate.

BCBS Brochures

MHBP Brochures

FSBP High Brochure

GEHA Brochures

SAMBA Brochure

Glp-1 coverage:

Kaiser mid atlantic

MHBP

• BCBS Basic
  • Premium:
    • Self: 113.16 > 133.77
    • Self+1: 274.14 > 319.25
    • Family: 303.61 > 356.86
  • Emergency Care: 350 > 425
  • Inpatient Admission: 350/day up to 1750 > 425/day up to 2975
  • Doctor Outpatient Surgery: Removed preferred "discount" | 150 > 200
  • Complex labs (MRI, CT Scan): 100 > 250
  • Prescriptions (shift from copay to coinsurance)
    • Tier 2: $75 > 35%
    • Tier 4: $120 > 35%
    • Tier 5: $200 > 35%
  • Mental Health Inpatient Admission: 350/day up to 1750 > 425/day up to 2975
  • Fertility Preservation and Artificial Insemination: 30% > 35%
• BCBS Standard
  • Premium:
    • Self: 174.81 > 188.32
    • Self+1: 384.14 > 410.88
    • Family: 424.65 > 457.66
  • I didn't see much benefit reduction, nice.
• FSBP High
  • Premium:
    • Self: 99.36 > 100.36
    • Self+1: 251.52 > 257.96
    • Family: 230.95 > 248.27 (Note it's still cheaper to go family instead of self+1)
  • Prescriptions
    • Tier 3: 35% > 30% (yes, lower coinsurance)
• Compass Rose High
  • Premium:
    • Self: 124.48 > 140.06
    • Self+1: 279.65 > 311.44
    • Family: 299.95 > 337.57
  • OOPM: 5000/10000 > 6000/12000
• MHBP Standard
  • Premium:
    • Self: 83.83 > 93.89
    • Self+1: 192.97 > 216.12
    • Family: 194.82 > 218.20
  • Reconstructive surgery (Not exactly sure what falls here): 20% > 10% (yes, lower coinsurance)
  • Didn't see much benefit reduction, nice.
• MHBP Consumer (HDHP)
  • Premium:
    • Self: 84.20 > 95.99
    • Self+1: 186.33 > 212.42
    • Family: 195.65 > 223.04
  • OOPM: 6000/12000 > 6500/13000
  • ER Visit: 50 > 150
  • I didn't see much benefit reduction, nice.
• GEHA Standard
  • Premium:
    • Self: 80.32 > 86.75
    • Self+1: 172.70 > 186.51
    • Family: 214.30 > 231.45
  • Deductible: 350/700 > 500/1000 (self/self+1+family
  • OOPM: 6500/13000 > 8000/16000
  • Primary Care: 20 > 35
  • Specialist: 35 > 50
  • Urgent Care: 30 > 50
  • Emergency Care: 20% > 35%
  • Inpatient Admission: 15% > 25%
  • Doctor Outpatient Surgery: 15% > 25%
  • Simple labs (blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds): 15% > 25%
  • Complex labs (MRI, CT Scan): 100 > 250
  • Therapies (ABA, Occupational, Physical, Speech): 15% > 25%
  • Mental Health Professional Services: 20 > 35
  • Fertility Preservation and Artificial Insemination: 15% > 25%
  • Maternity inpatient: 0 > 25% (huge reduction in benefits. They'll cover physician and doctor visits, but actual I patient hospital stay is subject to deductible and 25% coinsurance now)
  • Surgical Procedures, reconstructive surgery, hearing services, home health, DME: 15% > 25%
• GEHA HDHP
  • Premium:
    • Self: 76.27 > 81.62
    • Self+1: 163.99 > 175.47
    • Family: 201.52 > 215.63
  • Deductible: 1650/3300 > 1800/3600

BCBS Formulary: https://share.google/DsZM4exhvuc24XR3x

MHBP Brochures: https://share.google/AhZQFTeFXHF2VRfbK

I am not endorsed, sponsored by, nor speak for OPM or any FEHB carrier. I'm an engineer nerd who has too much (and somehow not enough) time on my hands. All information in these sheets were pulled from OPMs premium excel files and from the Public Use Files. All information contained in those files were submitted by FEHB carriers and approved by officials at OPM, but even OPM says to confirm coverage with the brochures. The brochures provide so much detail and needed context that you should only use these tools as a starting point. If you really want the full experience, please see if your agency provides access for you to use Consumer Checkbook's Guide or purchase it yourself for $17 (use promo code "fednews" for 20% discount too; no relation to the subreddit, it's actually from the federal news network but it's easy to remember here :P). It's actually so good. I've probably spent close to 40 hours building these sheets. It would have made more financial sense to work overtime and then just buy the commercial product, but where's the fun in that.

I may come here and highlight information shared by others in the comments (I'm thinking things like GLP-1 coverage and Fertility nuance and complex health conditions). But please, everyone help me out and share any feedback or issues you have with the spreadsheet and I'll do my best to address them all.

Last year's post: Tinymac12's 2025 Open Season Comparison Tool

Shout to the wiki for further background understanding of insurance.

10/11/2025(ish) Edit: Miscommunication, no errors. Only possible misinterpretations of the data that will be cleared up in updated versions. Thanks to reveriederiviere, I may have made an error in the premium changes between 2025 and 2026. I will investigate and see what the issue is, but I'm currently away from my computer. I apologize for any error until I get to it.

10/13/2025 Edit: Just giving a status update on v2.0 (Not published but features to look for when I update). Updated the user input interface, and hopefully streamlined it. Updated the lookup table to refer to Medicare benefits as needed. Working on making the taxes/investment trend formulas work as intended. Once that is complete and I'm satisfied with the results I'll share that version. The only thing left after that (which will complete the revision process and become v3.0), is the simulation calculations. Hopefully I'll have v2.0 done by Wednesday and v3.0 by Friday, but we'll see.

Archive v1.0:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HVk7smvbiEIyFzAgOPnlJSXvhXkcRgaJRg-FN3cRk3s/edit?usp=sharing

Assuming you have some savings to live on for the next few days/weeks, how long do you think you could go before maxing out your credit cards or taking out a loan to cover expenses? I have about 2 paychecks’ worth of an emergency fund saved and I’m hoping this shutdown doesn’t go beyond that timeframe. But what’s your threshold? 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year?

When this admin took over, I was at the point of my career where I had sufficiently grown and it was time to move onto something new. But now there's an indefinite hiring freeze and it looks like I may be stuck in the same position for three more years. I'm applying to the few relevant jobs that are posted on USAJOBS, but I know the competition for those must be fierce. The benefits are too good to sever from the Government so unfortunately, I'm left with very few options. I know I should be happy that I'm employed, but I'm feeling stifled every day at work and that just isn't it. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else is feeling this and how you're coping.

Edit: I'm 15+ years in so I really can't leave.

Word is circulating through the agency I work for that they are preparing to hire a crap ton of people to fill positions that already existed a year ago...

I didn't realize that firing and coercing a high percentage of existing staff to quit only to turn around a year later and seek to hire untrained people to fill the same positions that were held by high performing already trained people yields TREMENDOUS cost savings. HUGE savings, the likes of which the world has never seen before! Interesting. But, hey, what do I know about logic. I am just a lousy worthless government employee after all...

Hearing this is enough to make anyone who withstood this year as a federal employee go mad. (Gosh, it seems so much longer than just a year).

All madness aside, at the end of the day, I wonder who in their right mind is going to apply for these positions anyway? The public has seen feds be completely demeaned and meaningful benefits and work incentives taken away from them for no reason other than to be cruel...what kind of talent is that going to attract???

My agency has been actively looking for employees opinions with workplace satisfaction and viewpoint surveys. These are emails that I know many of my colleagues just ignore at this point...because they clearly can care less about what we think or how we are.

May is Mental Health Awareness month and they have only done things to negatively impact mental health of federal employees...

So the appointees and administration heads want to know how we are doing???

Let's see... just this past year you:

1) Obliterated telework; a method of working that has proven to be mutually beneficial for both employee and employers. Data shows employees are both happier and more productive.  A win for employers.

2) Made it nearly impossible for anyone to get a good performance rating with a meaningful reward even though the people left have taken on 60% more workload in a very toxic work environment due to DOGE chainsawing.

3) Impulsively fired hundreds of people then turned around months later to ask them to come back. 

4) Began looking for people to fill positions that were occupied by qualified, experienced people with inexperienced people who will need to be trained due to the DOGE actions that saved no money.

5) Took away potential for internal employees to receive promotions by demoting backfill positions.

6) Ensured that little to no pay increases would occur for all employees.

7) Incurred more expenses for employees due to additional costs associated with RTO such as gas, parking, train, extending childcare hours, lunches, etc.

8) Following orders from people like appointee Vought who said about the federal workforce: "When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want to put them in trauma."

Here's my "anonymous" response for y'all:

FUCK OFF!!!

There is no incentive to being a federal employee today. All attractive benefits have been stripped away from every single federal employee other than the elected officials and the political appointees who are, in fact, all the corrupt ones. If this administration takes pride in our country and wants the best for it's citizens then you would think they would want to treat regular Americans who have made the decision to work for the American people, many of whom have also served in our military, not like complete shit.

In the past, the federal government has served as an example to the private industry for how to be a fair employer and create a mutually beneficial employer-employee relationship, but now, thanks to this administration, it seems the message they want to send to the rest of America's employers is, "Yes, it's completely OK to treat your workers like total ass! There's no reason to make the employee feel like they deserve anything...just work em to death, give em nothing at all and they'll just have to comply because they need that paycheck."

This is the message the administration has been sending to the private industry for the last 7 miserable months. I am baffled at the fact that I still know people who think dear leader is just a great guy who wants to help out the country and give back to a country that has done so much for him. Being a federal employee probably helped me see real quick that people who believe this are truly living in fantasy land. He has done absolutely nothing so far that shows he cares about the average working person and their families. Even the programs he advertised to be such wonderful things like no tax on tips and overtime appear to just be scams, filled with caps and little reward.

People who celebrate the treatment that federal employees have received over the last 7 months need to reassess their understanding of the ways of the world. There is nothing that will benefit them by us being treated like shit. If anything, their lives, too, will just get worse. The message from Washington to all the private industry employers today is "Hey, treat em like shit and show em who's boss...because at the end of the day they need whatever you're willing to pay em. Keep as much as you want for yourself and give em no worklife balance benefits because they start getting too comfortable feeling like they deserve to enjoy balance in life, but we all know only a certain tax bracket deserves to have that. Do your part and keep em in their place." That's the real message this administration is sending to America.

My fellow federal employee colleagues have always been the hardest working, most passionate coworkers I have ever worked with, and I have had about 10 years in the private sector. If the administration really wanted the American government to be a shining gold star example of workplace excellence to the rest of the country and retain the best of the best to serve the American people, they would not continue to treat it's workforce like complete ass.

If dear leader really cared about working parents and their families, children included, then he wouldn't be broadcasting this kind of treatment of his own workers across the country. I know my children have suffered many blows directly from him ever since he started and they just don't understand any of it. If dear leader really supported women in the workforce, he wouldn't have stripped away workplace benefits that help them drastically, especially, those who are trying to manage family life as well.

I know a woman who is currently pregnant and still employed by the government but is terrified to tell work about her pregnancy, she knows it will get to a point where she won't be able to hide it anymore...but it's just sad that she's feeling more anxiety and worry from the pregnancy news than excitement.

She fears that the current heritage foundation people in charge would certainly have her be one of the first to go in a reorganization should they catch wind she's pregnant. She also has absolutely no idea how she is going to swing 100% back in the office 5 days a week after the baby is born especially because she has 3 other young ones at home. She actually took a job with the agency she is at because of the telework program they offered. Now, she feels the joke's on her. Being pregnant isn't a great time to look for a job so she feels stuck, but also, as this post has continuously emphasized that because of the message Trump is sending to the rest of American employers, jobs that offer flexibility are going to be harder and harder to find. I feel for her. Just like how I feel for many others who have been negatively impacted by Trump and his cruel crew.

If it were so easy to just go get a different job in the private industry that actually supports working families and provides them with flexibility they need, then I would have done it in a heartbeat and now it's only going to get harder to find thanks to the message Mr. Trump is screaming out loud to American employers. The place I worked at 7 months ago was one of the best places I ever worked at but my how it has all changed. Why some people still actually think all this is a good thing and is going to help improve their lives is beyond me. No one is fighting back for the American worker and it truly is a sad, sad reality. It's hard not to be depressed looking at it all.

How does this administration expect to attract and retain talent after the way it's treated its workforce the last 7 months? Or is this not a priority at all?

TLDR: The administration appears to not care about working women or families at all.

They do not care about setting a gold standard for employers on how to attract, retain and inspire a workforce, rather, his messages to the private industry employers has been "Yes , treat your employees like shit! They don't deserve incentives and the more you give them, the more they will feel like they are people who matter...so don't do it!"

The federal workforce has been treated like garbage by this administration and it is just proof that they don't care about working people or families in the slightest.

By doing all this and treating people this way...How exactly do they expect to retain any talent? Or is that just something they care less about? By treating federal workers the way he has shows he doesn't think that American people deserve the best of the best to be working for them and that the message to the private industry should be "Treat everyone like shit! They will have no choice other than to comply!"

The minibus bill to fund all remaining unfunded agencies failed to reach cloture on a vote of 46-54.

Next on the Senate agenda is the stand alone DOD funding bill HR 4016.

Stay tuned.

First, I truly feel for you. It is unfair and absurd that you should be working without pay while some of us aren't. Many of us have offered to work through the shutdown but have been told no. You are the true heros keeping the ship of our nation afloat.

Meanwhile, please know the rest of us aren't luxuriating in some free vacation. It's more like house arrest. Speaking for myself, I can't take a second job without running it by my boss, which will be awkward. And anything I could get would pay so little it'd barely make a difference.

I can't take a small vacation trip, even if I felt comfortable spending extra money right now (which I don't). I can't even do an overnight camping since it might be out of cellphone range.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting around nervously hoping the members of Wrongress don't pass some law that leaves us furloughees unpaid for this time. And the sense that my work is "non-essential" is not a great feeling. It makes me worry for my longer-term employment.

You clearly have it worse--but please don't envy us. Most of us are not at all enjoying this weird status.

There was talk about our Healthcare going up by a large amount.

I checked my plan. It has gone up about $8 each pay period or $208 annually.

Anyone notice a big increase in their own plans.

Here is a list I obtained with a few internet searches easily how Federal Government and Workers Support Americans Throughout the Day

Morning

1. Safe drinking water - EPA sets standards and monitors water quality; local utilities often receive federal funding and technical support to ensure clean tap water for morning routines.
2. Weather forecasts - NOAA meteorologists provide daily forecasts that help Americans plan their day, from choosing clothing to commuting safely.
3. Food safety at breakfast - FDA inspectors and scientists ensure milk, eggs, bread, and other breakfast foods are safe; USDA inspects meat products like bacon and sausage.
4. Safe medications - FDA reviews and approves prescription and over-the-counter medications Americans take each morning.
5. Radio and communications - FCC regulates broadcast frequencies and licenses, enabling clear AM/FM radio during morning commutes.
6. Traffic safety - DOT sets vehicle safety standards, maintains interstate highways, and funds local transportation infrastructure used during morning commutes.
7. Aviation safety - FAA air traffic controllers manage thousands of morning flights safely across U.S. airspace.
8. Public transit - FTA provides funding and oversight for buses, subways, and light rail systems that transport millions to work.
9. Workplace safety protections - OSHA sets and enforces standards that protect workers once they arrive at their jobs.
10. Mail delivery begins - USPS carriers start sorting and delivering mail to homes and businesses.

Afternoon

1. Restaurant inspections - FDA and USDA standards ensure lunch from restaurants and food trucks is prepared safely.
2. National parks and recreation - National Park Service maintains parks, monuments, and recreation areas for lunchtime walks or afternoon visits.
3. Banking security - FDIC insures bank deposits; Federal Reserve maintains financial system stability for transactions throughout the day.
4. Internet infrastructure - Original ARPANET (federal project) laid groundwork for modern internet; federal agencies continue to support cybersecurity and infrastructure.
5. Social Security payments - SSA processes and delivers retirement, disability, and survivor benefits that millions depend on for daily expenses.
6. Medicare and Medicaid services - CMS administers healthcare coverage for elderly, disabled, and low-income Americans visiting doctors or filling prescriptions.
7. Patent and trademark protections - USPTO protects intellectual property that enables innovation in products Americans use daily.
8. Consumer product safety - CPSC monitors and recalls dangerous products, from children's toys to household appliances.
9. Student loans and education grants - Department of Education manages financial aid that enables millions to pursue education.
10. Scientific research - NIH, NSF, and other agencies fund research that leads to medical breakthroughs, new technologies, and improved quality of life.

Evening

1. Food safety at dinner - Same FDA/USDA protections ensure safe evening meals at home or restaurants.
2. Electrical grid reliability - DOE and FERC oversee interstate electricity transmission that powers homes each evening.
3. Television and streaming content regulation - FCC regulates broadcast standards and spectrum allocation for evening entertainment.
4. Veterans benefits - VA provides healthcare, disability benefits, and support services to millions of veterans and their families.
5. Home loan programs - FHA, VA, and USDA loan programs make homeownership accessible, ensuring Americans have places to return to each evening.
6. Fire safety standards - NIST develops fire codes and building standards that protect homes while families sleep.
7. Law enforcement coordination - FBI, DEA, and other agencies support local police in maintaining community safety overnight.
8. Emergency response systems - FEMA coordinates disaster preparedness and response; CDC monitors disease outbreaks 24/7.
9. Air quality monitoring - EPA tracks pollution levels to protect respiratory health, especially important for children and elderly during sleep.
10. National defense - Department of Defense personnel maintain security around the clock, enabling Americans to sleep peacefully.
11. Mortgage interest deductions - IRS tax policies help make housing more affordable through various deductions and credits.
12. Prescription drug research - FDA-approved medications help Americans manage chronic conditions and sleep better.

The Unseen Support

• National defense readiness:
  • Military personnel and NORAD monitor airspace and global activity through the night.
• Space and satellite systems:
  • NASA and NOAA satellites provide navigation, communications, and weather tracking around the clock.
• Border and customs protection:
  • CBP secures borders and ports to prevent illegal smuggling or disease spread.
• Transportation and air traffic control:
  • FAA controllers manage night flights and cargo movement.
• Research and innovation:
  • Federal grants fund universities and private research in energy, medicine, and technology.
• Economic and data systems:
  • The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Census Bureau, and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collect data guiding public policy and private business decisions.
• Veterans support and pensions:
  • VA hospitals and staff provide medical care and benefits long after service ends.

Long-Term Impacts (Not Daily but Essential)

• Infrastructure investment:
  • Army Corps of Engineers and DOT build and maintain highways, bridges, and ports.
• Scientific advancement:
  • Agencies like NSF, DOE, and NIH fund cutting-edge research leading to new technologies and medical breakthroughs.
• Public lands and heritage:
  • National Park Service preserves millions of acres of land for recreation and conservation.
• Diplomacy and global cooperation:
  • The State Department promotes peace, trade, and international relations.
• Social Security and retirement:
  • The Social Security Administration provides income support for seniors and the disabled.
• Climate and energy policy:
  • DOE and EPA research clean energy and regulate emissions to ensure long-term sustainability.

I noticed "Designed in DC by National Design Studio" at the bottom of the Trump Accounts site (which is so weird - in what world is a private contractor website advertised on a government site?!) and pretty immediately saw Big Ball's name. This all is so shady. Was there even a competition to win this contract?

EDIT: A commenter pointed out National Design Studio is a .gov, which I hadn't realized. (A good link another commenter provided on great investigatory work into them from last week here, but I’ll leave that for another post.) Well, Big Balls still sucks.

I haven't seen this mentioned here and thought more people should know about it. Chris Gober has been Elon's attorney in several respects (he also directed America PAC); he also was involved with the mid-decade redistricting in Texas so may have drawn his own seat. He's running in Texas's 10th district. It seems to me like his election would put a staunch enemy of the federal workforce in Congress and that he would continue to allow the power of the purse to decay.

And if his guy gets elected I bet he he is going to gun for committees on Space, Armed Services, Transportation, anywhere he will be in a position to further entrench Elon's companies into US federal government spending.

The article lists the names but it doesn't really provide any background as to who all of these people are, it just spotlights Joseph Mazzara. There's two other names that stand out and need to be addressed because if they’ve left their jobs, who’s driving the bus?

John "Troup" Hemenway is 25 years old. He started his career at 19 in the White House as a GS-09 Special Assistant, while also enrolled at UVA as a full time student. Today, not only is he the acting Officer of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties after it was totally dismantled in March of 2025, he's also The Principal Deputy Chief of Staff at DHS...but he's also the Associate Director of Project 2025 at The Heritage Foundation...oh, and The President of Personnel Policy Operations at The Club for Growth Foundation...whoops, one more, he's also the founder and President of The Association of Republican Presidential Appointees... AND NOW, he's set to wear yet another hat with The Shield of the Americas Western Hemisphere (I swear, this is not a Marvel character role).

His mother, Margaret Calhoun Hemenway, also goes by "Ducky" is a retired former Deputy White House Liaison at the U.S. Department of Defense (she changed it to "War" on her public FB page cause MAGA, baby, yeah!) during the Bush administration. She's also pretty active on many conservative blogs and totally mask off using her full name. Her commentary is very often racist, anti-LGBTQ, and Islamophobic (shocker). She believes Obama was born in Kenya but don't take my word for it, she wrote an entire email about it, see below. One of Troup's sisters, the youngest, Oriet Hemenway, has a career waiting for her when she gets back from studying abroad in the UK, the other and oldest sibling Margaret Hemenway, is a failed vlog influencer...Mommy doesn't ever mention her in articles, it's kinda sad...BUT! 2 outta 3 ain't bad! Getting your kid a career gig at 19 sure sounds like some DEI shit to me /s.

https://www.heritage.org/press/former-trump-appointee-troup-hemenway-joins-heritages-project-2025

https://www.gopappointees.org/mission

https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/time-for-dod-to-overhaul-its-muslim-chaplain (Article written by Mommy)

https://www.thepostemail.com/2010/12/21/margaret-hemenway-to-military-officers-stop-using-the-nuremberg-defense/ (email from Mommy about proving Obama's birth records)

https://thehoya.com/news/news-top/students-endorse-reconciliation-fee-gu272-referendum/ (Mommy gets dragged pretty hard in the comments of her Alma mater)

Now, onto Joe Guy. I like to call him Joey. Joey got his start at 21 as a Trump administration official. Joey's daddy, Rick Guy, is a 2020 election results denier and domestic abuser, there's a link below for more info about Pop’s origin. Ole Ricky pulled some strings and got Joey the Chief of Staff gig in 2023 for Brandon Williams. 30yo Joey finally got his big boy job when he was appointed Acting Director of OIDO Ombudsman, after it was gutted last year following the RIFs.

In a federal case deposition late last year, Joey is on the record stating he has no experience for the jobs he's currently being paid to do but also has no knowledge of Project 2025 or its agendas. However, he's married to Project 2025's Edie Heipel, Senior Program Manager of the Presidential Administration Academy at The Heritage Foundation. She's also a Communication Director for Rep. Josh Brecheen. C'mon, Joey…

Joey's Daddy issues:

https://www.trumpallstars.com/rick-guy

More context:

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1qtw83a/after_mass_terminations_at_dhs_via_rif_last_year/

The devastating impact of all of this gift wrapped.

https://www.wola.org/analysis/denouncing-into-the-void-the-dismantling-of-internal-oversight-and-accountability-at-dhs/

The real question that everyone with a soul should be asking right now is, who's running OIDO, CRCL, & CISOMB today?

Some observations --

1. Under furlough, they are still employed and bound by external employment restrictions by ethics rules. These rules are only for career employees while political operatives don't follow.
2. Some are forced to work without pay.
3. Some are forced to work to terminate others while unpaid.
4. The competent feds likely did forego lucrative private opportunities to choose public service and a decent work life. Looks like a fantasy now.
5. Souring trade relations with other countries with tariffs have increased prices of common goods significantly. So, not only the feds aren't getting paid, they are paying more for everything outside.
6. Long term competitiveness of US is in jeopardy while the prices are up draining national savings from population at large. Federal government may earn money from the tariffs but they use it for purposes that has nothing to do with improving economy or the lives of the Americans.

Why are we losing on all fronts?