Last week, the AFGE National Executive Council (NEC) welcomed U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) for an in-depth, in-person conversation about one of the most urgent challenges facing the federal workforce: the threat of harmful and politically driven Reductions in Force (RIFs). Senator Kaine met with the NEC to provide a detailed briefing on the anti-RIF protections he helped secure in the latest Continuing Resolution (CR) and to reaffirm his strong commitment to ensuring federal workers are treated with fairness, dignity, and stability.
Senator Kaine opened the discussion by outlining the critical need for guardrails that prevent federal employees from being targeted for sudden or arbitrary layoffs. While shutdowns and funding gaps create turbulence across government, Kaine emphasized that federal workers should never become collateral damage in political standoffs or policy disputes—especially when they continue to support essential services under extraordinary pressure.
The CR’s anti-RIF language was a major step forward. It establishes essential safeguards that ensure federal workers cannot be subjected to mass terminations during volatile budget periods or used as bargaining chips in partisan negotiations. The Senator stressed that these protections were not merely procedural victories—they were necessary measures to uphold the integrity of government operations and the people who make them possible.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Senator Kaine stated plainly, “This is an attack on the idea of public service. When you start attacking the idea of public service… we got to stand up against that.”
He noted that AFGE members, in particular, have borne significant stress over the past year, not only from the recent shutdown—but from the climate of uncertainty that preceded it. As he reminded the NEC, “My federal employees in Virginia, they don't feel like the shutdown started October 1. They feel like it started January 20th… that’s when the trauma started. That’s when the abuse started.”
The Senator took time to highlight the profound dedication of the federal workforce, stressing that public service is not simply a job—it is a calling. He remarked, “When you devote your life to public service, you give up some other things, but you do it as you're a patriot, you love the country, you love serving other people.”
This sentiment resonated deeply with NEC members, who routinely hear from workers facing career uncertainty, shifting agency priorities, and resource constraints. The anti-RIF protections in the CR help provide a measure of stability at a moment when agencies need strong, consistent staffing to meet their missions.
Throughout the meeting, Senator Kaine repeatedly credited AFGE for keeping the consequences of RIF threats at the forefront of national conversations. He acknowledged the NEC’s leadership for engaging lawmakers with real-world evidence and practical policy solutions, telling the NEC, “I did it because of you guys.”
Union leaders underscored that protections against unjustified RIFs play a central role in maintaining morale and retaining mission-critical talent. When career federal employees are left vulnerable to political whims—as happened in previous attempts to “cut government for the sake of cutting”—agencies lose critical expertise, communities lose economic stability, and the American public loses access to high-quality, reliable services.
Senator Kaine expressed his commitment to continuing collaborative work with AFGE to protect these priorities and to closely monitor implementation of the CR’s workforce protections. He thanked the NEC for their continued engagement, adding, “Together, we can ensure the federal workforce is treated with the respect and stability it deserves.”
AFGE is grateful for Senator Kaine’s leadership and his willingness to stand with federal employees during a period of heightened uncertainty and political pressure. His visit to the NEC reaffirmed what AFGE members already know: protecting public service requires courage, clarity, and conviction from leaders at every level.
As Senator Kaine said, federal workers represent the very best of public commitment—and defending them is essential not just for the workforce, but for the strength and stability of our democracy itself.
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