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Holding signs that turned soggy as the rain fell, a large crowd gathered Wednesday at a protest just steps away from the U.S. Capitol.
They were there to demonstrate against reductions to the federal workforce. Signs included messages such as, “Save the Civil Service, Save the Country” and, “Support the Federal Workforce.”
“The skies are crying because what’s happening to our workforce and what’s happening to the missions of our agencies,” said Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.
The protest was organized by a coalition of unions, including NTEU, and those who spoke criticized President Donald Trump’s administration’s downsizing of the federal workforce.
“There was only one professional employee I know who deserved to be fired, and his name is Elon Musk,” said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., expressed concerns about proposed cuts to the IRS, which could result in a large percentage of the workforce being let go.
“When you suddenly cut out 6,000 or 7,000 more IRS workers, many of them into NTEU, we’re going to end up seeing less service,” Warner told the crowd.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., encouraged the crowd to continue protesting the actions of the Trump administration.
“It is raining, but we are here to say that a little rain is not going to get in the way of our effort to shut down these illegal operations,” Van Hollen said.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 5th District, accused the Trump administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” team, which is tasked with slashing government spending, of making the government less efficient.
“If you were going to make the government the most inefficient you could do, you would follow the policies that are being followed. Absolutely, because you have scared the living hell out of every federal employee thinking about, ‘Am I going to have a job tomorrow?’” Hoyer said.
Bill Larkin, a revenue officer for the IRS and president of the Baltimore chapter of the NTEU, said the goal of protesting is keeping federal workers in their jobs.
“We’re being unfairly scapegoated as the problem with the government,” Larkin said.
Robert Duncan of Hyattsville, Maryland, retired from the Food and Drug Administration last year, and said he is demonstrating for his former colleagues.
“I feel like I’m giving back to my coworkers who are still there, still protecting American people’s health,” he said.
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