Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) despatched a number of letters Thursday to varied federal company heads in search of solutions concerning directives banning staff from chatting with Congress.
“The Committee on Appropriations has a longstanding relationship with Agency career staff who are integral to providing the data used to inform our decisions,” she wrote in separate letters to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Inside Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Safety Company (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“These staff have always conducted themselves in a professional way with integrity,” the Democratic lawmaker added.
“Unfortunately, nearly all communication has stopped since President Trump took office. My understanding is that these staff have been directed not to communicate with Congress.”
Pingree, a rating member of the Home Appropriations Inside and Surroundings Subcommittee, took difficulty with the current firing of U.S. Forest Service staff.
She mentioned the firings threatened the power of businesses “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of both present and future generations.”
In her letters, the consultant requested an in depth report outlining a breakdown of terminations and present vacancies.
“Oversight of the executive branch is one of Congress’s main responsibilities, and the Department’s utter lack of transparency is unacceptable. It is clear to me that this reckless and indiscriminate purge of public servants will have lasting harmful effects,” the Maine lawmaker acknowledged.
“The chaotic manner in which these mass firings were executed will only make the federal government more inefficient. Ultimately, when the federal government fails to deliver services, it will be the American people who suffer.”
The U.S. Division of Agriculture and Inside Division didn’t instantly reply to The Hill’s requests for remark.
The EPA mentioned it’s “reviewing the letter and will respond through the appropriate channels.”
Up to date at 10:55 a.m. EST.
