Week 23 saw a federal judge blocking Trump’s plan to end collective bargaining for federal workers, chaos at NSF, and Trump withholding congressionally mandated funding for agencies.
In Week 23, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing to stall 200 accounts at various agencies in an illegal attempt to refuse to spend congressionally mandated funds. The administration has actually frozen approved funding for various programs, notably those related to public health, including $6 million for Alzheimer’s caregiver assistance, after DOGE took control of a federal grant website. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also awarded only half of the grants it did in the same period last year since Trump returned to the White House.
Chaos continued at the National Science Foundation (NSF) after Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced he would take over the NSF headquarters in Alexandria, Va., where 1,833 NSF employees work.
According to a memo sent to employees on June 26, NSF leadership said there will be a phased approach to the move, but no one is moving out of the building until there is a written agreement.
“No one will be displaced from their current office/space until a timeline has been agreed to in writing by GSA, NSF, and HUD, and a reasonable notice has been given to staff,” read the memo. “A move out of the [D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area] is NOT on the table.”
Here’s a quick recap of Trump’s attacks on America in his 23rd week in office, how these actions hurt federal workers and the American people they serve, and how We the People fight back:
June 27: Thanks to AFGE’s hard work, the Senate dropped all anti-worker provisions AFGE opposed in its final version of the Big Retaliation Bill. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill again as soon as June 30 before sending it to the House to be reconciled with the House version of the bill.
June 26: Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy warned that Trump’s attacks against judges are a threat to democracy and freedom. These judges, some of whom were appointed by Trump during his first term, have ruled against his policies such as firings of federal workers and immigration.
June 26: A federal judge blocked the Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps, a program that has provided education and training for disadvantaged and at-risk youth in some of the nation’s most underserved rural communities.
June 26: House Democrats on the Oversight and Reform and Judiciary committees urged their Senate counterparts to reject the nomination of 30-year-old Paul Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel citing his extremist views, disdain for the Constitution, and blind loyalty to Trump. OSC enforces the Hatch Act, which restricts federal workers’ political activity, and federal laws protecting whistleblowers from political retaliation. If confirmed, Ingrassia would undermine the rule of law and democratic institutions.
June 25: Project 2025 architect-turned Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought told lawmakers the administration is considering withholding funding that Congress has approved for agencies, saying it has several options, including employing so-called “pocket rescissions” that allows spending to expire before agencies can use it. The administration is currently trying to claw back $9 billion in funding that Congress has already approved. The House has already voted to approve that request. The Senate is expected to take up the package by July 18. Sen. Patty Murray urged senators to entirely reject the request as it would undermine Congress’s influence.
June 25: The State Department is proceeding with its planned mass layoff despite a court order prohibiting it. About 2,000 employees are expected to face a reduction in force regardless of the court order.
June 25: The Trump administration is eliminating FEMA and using that money to build a detention center in Florida.
June 24: In a major victory for AFGE and federal workers, a federal judge ruled that President Trump’s executive order ending collective bargaining agreements for federal workers is likely illegal and a retaliatory attempt to punish federal employee unions that have been engaging in constitutionally protected speech. He granted AFGE and allies’ request for a preliminary injunction against the administration while litigation is ongoing.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially walked back its plan to lay off more than 80,000 employees as part of the Elon Musk-led “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative.
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In a significant decision impacting the federal workforce, the Supreme Court lifted lower-court injunctions, enabling the current administration to proceed with its controversial plans for mass layoffs and restructuring of federal agencies.
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In a late-breaking development, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a temporary administrative stay of the preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Executive Order 14251.
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