Davids Speaks with Terminated Federal Workers Amidst Reckless Government Downsizing by DOGE

KANSAS CITY, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids convened a roundtable discussion with five federal workers recently laid off due to the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, led by Elon Musk. The event shed light on the personal and community impacts of the substantial federal workforce reductions currently underway. Davids distributed her Job Seekers Guide, which provides valuable resources for finding new employment and support during periods of unemployment.

"The mass layoffs pushed by the current administration and DOGE are not just uprooting the lives of dedicated federal workers — they are putting at risk the essential services our communities rely on every day," said Davids. "In Kansas, where federal jobs are a vital part of our economy, these cuts threaten not only public trust but public safety. While I support efforts to make government more efficient, this reckless approach will have far-reaching consequences. I am committed to standing up against these harmful cuts, holding those responsible accountable, and ensuring that these workers and the services they provide are protected."

The roundtable featured a diverse group of federal workers impacted by the recent DOGE job cuts. Participants included:

• Jasper Hudgins-Bradley, Overland Park, KS: Former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contact representative, helping people navigate IRS issues, who was laid off after less than a month of service.
• Selina Bur, Kansas City, MO: Former Transportation Specialist with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of the Secretary, facilitating infrastructure projects and helping federal funds reach American communities.
• Scott Curtis, Overland Park, KS: Former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 7 Chief of Staff, initially laid off, then told it was a mistake and asked to return — yet has not received any rehiring details.
• Donny Newsom, Leawood, KS: Navy veteran and former Senior Project Manager at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), overseeing national laboratories and ensuring they met operational needs.
• Garth Stocking, Kansas City, MO: Technical expert at the Social Security Administration (SSA) and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union leader, who, while not personally laid off, provided insight into the broader impacts of looming cuts within the Social Security workforce.

Kansas City, a major hub for federal employment, is experiencing widespread impacts from these layoffs. The federal government is the metro’s largest employer, with approximately 30,000 federal workers — accounting for about 3 percent of the region’s total workforce. These cuts are already affecting Kansas City families, local economies, and the critical services federal employees provide to the public. Specific agencies affected include:

• IRS: About 1,000 layoffs have already taken place at Kansas City locations, with more expected.
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): Under DOGE directives, the VA announced plans to lay off up to 83,000 employees nationwide by the end of 2025.
  • Davids previously demanded answers from the VA following the abrupt termination of employees, including service-disabled veterans, military spouses, and medical researchers.
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Aviation safety professionals at regional FAA offices are among those impacted, with the FAA union president saying they were let go “without assessment.”
  • Davids previously warned that the Administration’s FAA firings “undermine aviation safety,” just weeks after the fatal midair collision of AA5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas.
• SSA: The administration is planning to cut at least 7,000 employees, a cut of more than 12 percent. The acting SSA commissioner said DOGE officials are “outsiders who are unfamiliar with nuances of SSA programs.”
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): In February, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, laid off at least a dozen administrative employees. Some were later rehired to assist with the avian influenza response.
• NOAA: Local weather professionals are also seeing cuts, which could impact forecasting and emergency preparedness.
• And others.

WATCH: Davids spoke last week on the consequences of mass federal worker layoffs 

"I am just one of so many federal employees in Kansas and around the country who have been fired with disregard for our livelihood or the essential services we provide to the American people,” said Scott Curtis, former FEMA employee. “After 32 years in the U.S. Navy, I chose federal service to continue helping others, but like many probationary employees, I was among the first to go — not because of performance, but because of reckless policy. This is not just about jobs; it’s about losing dedicated public servants who quietly support millions of Americans in ways they may never realize. The irony is that if the goal was true efficiency, we should be keeping these new, innovative workers — not cutting them first."

“Many current and former government employees are now vulnerable to the actions of President Trump, his appointee Elon Musk, and others in positions of power, and we find ourselves in crisis,” said Jasper Hudgins-Bradley, former IRS employee. “It is both encouraging and reassuring to have elected officials like Representative Sharice Davids listening to our concerns and amplifying our voices, supporting us from above as we work to address these issues on the ground. Public servants are often easy targets, but the President has demonstrated over the course of his terms that he will remove anyone who stands in his way. What has happened to us could happen to anyone who does not push back."

"The termination of my position at U.S. DOT, carried out by the Trump Administration, not only violates the laws of the United States, but was done recklessly, without regard for my performance or what the impact would be to the communities I served across the country,” said Selina Bur, former DOT employee. “The ripple effects of these unlawful mass terminations will be far-reaching."

“I served my country for 22 years in the Navy and continued that service at NOAA, ensuring scientists had the facilities they need to support critical research — including weather forecasting that helps Kansas farmers and communities plan for storms,” said Donny Newsom, former NOAA employee. “But after just 15 months, I was abruptly terminated along with 200 others, not for poor performance, but because we were easy targets in the new administration’s push to gut the federal workforce. These mass firings don’t just hurt public servants — they create chaos, weaken our national security, and cost taxpayers. Thank you, Sharice, for standing up against these reckless cuts and fighting for Kansans.”

“DOGE and the whole Trump administration has been an avalanche of woe for federal workers and a mounting disaster for our country,” said Garth Stocking, former SAA employee. “Mine is a household of two federal workers and a trans teen — you bet we are angry, frightened and in constant turmoil about the prospects of years of these vicious, thoughtless policies. Beyond my personal situation, the community needs to be absolutely clear about how this dismantling of the civil service will harm them in so many ways. They are burning it all down only to deliver more money to the rich. Sharice Davids has proven herself a hero to federal workers, because she is with us, talking to us at every step — really standing up, and we appreciate it.”

Davids has always prioritized what’s best for Kansans, working across the aisle when it leads to real benefits — like collaborating with the new EPA director to lower gas prices. But she won’t hesitate to push back against extreme policies that hurt Kansas families. She condemned President Trump’s new tariffs, warning they “could raise costs for hardworking folks and put even more pressure on our agricultural sector.” She also fought against threats to Medicaid — critical for 61,000 people in Kansas’ Third District — after House Republicans pushed a partisan budget that slashed health care to give billionaires tax breaks.