EPA employees are ‘freaking out’ over Trump’s return

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-11-14 22:22:40 | Updated at 2024-11-22 19:49:26 1 week ago

EPA employees are ‘freaking out’ over Trump’s return
Government Executive ^ | 14/11/24 | Eric Katz

Posted on 11/14/2024 2:09:00 PM PST by Eleutheria5

In the days following the election, some employees at the Environmental Protection Agency began texting each other to vent about what President-elect Trump’s victory could mean for their workplace.

“It’s a new dystopian hellscape,” one employee said.

Another employee who received that message said it summed up the tone around EPA pretty accurately.

“People are majorly freaking out,” she said.

She noted that some staff were taking a more cautious approach. They encouraged their colleagues to "wait and see," to give Trump officials the benefit of the doubt and to see what they could accomplish together. Employees with more experience, however, those who lived through Trump's first term in office, said they were not expecting much compromise.

“There are more people freaking out,” the employee said.

During his presidency, Trump sought to dramatically reduce EPA’s budget and headcount, curb its regulatory ambitions and reduce its enforcement actions. He initially appointed Scott Pruitt, who as a state official had repeatedly sued EPA, to lead the agency. When Pruitt stepped down after a series of scandals, Andrew Wheeler, a fossil fuel lobbyist, took his place. The Trump administration issued an extended hiring freeze for EPA and then offered separation incentives to encourage employees to leave.

Employees sounded the alarm that political appointees were improperly seeking to influence scientific processes. They consistently conceded the administration was well within its rights to alter course on policy, but maintained their scientific findings should have remained protected. In a survey by the Union of Concerned Scientists in 2018, 70% of EPA employees said senior decision makers from regulated industries had inappropriately influenced agency actions.

The agency disbanded two of its science advisory committees and replaced the scientists on others. Employees ultimately reported feeling disenchanted, disempowered and skeptical about the value of their public service.

.....

(Excerpt) Read more at govexec.com ...

TOPICS: Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: epa; freakout; return; trump

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1 posted on 11/14/2024 2:09:00 PM PST by Eleutheria5

To: Eleutheria5

I would say immediately firing everyone at the EPA that is not protected by Civil Service Rules is a good place to start. Work on getting others out later.

To: Eleutheria5

Another employee said the most fearful EPA staff are those who work on policy, and therefore may be subject to Schedule F dismissals. Outside groups have also submitted far-reaching Freedom of Information Act requests to identify potentially recalcitrant employees. Still, the employee said perhaps one of the worst outcomes for employees may be boredom.

Read it slowly and let your lips move.

there are 3 major points in the paragraph.

3 posted on 11/14/2024 2:13:11 PM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)

To: Eleutheria5

It sounds like instead of protecting the fragile environment, they’re protecting their political biases.

4 posted on 11/14/2024 2:14:05 PM PST by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)

To: Eleutheria5

they can always self deport.

5 posted on 11/14/2024 2:14:06 PM PST by BigFreakinToad (All she is, is cackles in the wind.)

To: Eleutheria5

6 posted on 11/14/2024 2:14:10 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)

To: Eleutheria5

It's a common statement that 20,000 jobs have to be filled as 20,000 political appointments leave their current jobs

This is not true.

What has happened is that political appointments have become full-time employees as their administration wound down.

So during the Clinton admin, a goodly size of political appointments became full time employees (beaurocrats), then the same with the Bush admin, the Obama admin, the Trump admin and the Biden admin.

So we have in effect a political Bureaucracy.

The first to go should be all political appointments who turned fed employee

7 posted on 11/14/2024 2:16:40 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)

To: PeterPrinciple

The bureaucracy has forgotten that they’re not there to make policy. The President does that. They’re there to implement policy. If they disagree with the policy they’re free to leave.

It’s way past time they were reminded of that.

Forcefully reminded if necessary.

8 posted on 11/14/2024 2:16:52 PM PST by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)

To: Eleutheria5

My thoughts on the EPA, and many other government entities - when your job is to squash demons, you tend to invent new demons in order to stay employed. The EPA hasn’t really discovered any significant issues to regulate since before Clinton.

Oh, they may find a legit issue from time to time, but they are mostly just trying to outlaw anything that keeps them employed and “respected”. And by respect, I mean fear because they certainly haven’t earned my respect.

Global warming and carbon are the latest boogeymen.

9 posted on 11/14/2024 2:17:10 PM PST by meyer ("When, in the course of human events,....")

To: Eleutheria5

The Trump administration issued an extended hiring freeze for EPA and then offered separation incentives to encourage employees to leave.

I think that's the best thing the Trump Administration can do. 4 years is a long time.

To: Eleutheria5

When are these idiots not freaking out

11 posted on 11/14/2024 2:18:10 PM PST by butlerweave

To: Eleutheria5

When your job is to harass people, destroy businesses, and ruin lives, be thankful the worst that will happen is you’ll get fired. These people should all be homeless and destitute. They serve no worthwhile purpose.

12 posted on 11/14/2024 2:21:37 PM PST by HYPOCRACY (Democracy is dead. Long live the Republic!)

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