    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2025)]
    [House]
    [Page H778]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

              DIRE CONSEQUENCES OF FUNDING FREEZE AND MASS FIRINGS

      The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New
    Mexico (Mr. Vasquez) for 5 minutes.
      Mr. VASQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the dire
    consequences of the Federal funding freezes and mass firings that are
    devastating communities across the country, including in my home State
    of New Mexico.
      Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with New Mexicans who have
    been impacted by these reckless decisions. Their stories are
    heartbreaking. Their families are suffering. Rural communities are
    reeling, and they deserve to be heard.
      The funding freeze is crippling essential programs in our State,
    programs that provide wildfire prevention, conserve rangelands,
    grasslands, and forests, provide services to veterans, and fund public
    safety services. Rural communities and food producers are left
    vulnerable. Our national parks and forests are in disarray, and our
    local economies are suffering.
      At the same time, mass firings are stripping thousands of dedicated
    Federal workers of their livelihoods. They are Americans--parents,
    veterans, and public servants--who have spent years serving their
    communities.
      More than 2,400 employees have been dismissed from the Department of
    Veterans Affairs, undermining care for those who have served our
    country.
      The U.S. Forest Service is losing the very employees that provide
    Americans access to our national treasures and public lands. These cuts
    also threaten wildfire prevention as our State enters another critical
    fire season.
      The administration has fired 2,300 Department of the Interior
    employees, including 800 from the Bureau of Land Management and another
    1,000 from the National Park Service, crippling decades of conservation
    efforts and degrading public land management.
      These numbers alone are shocking, but they don't fully capture the
    impact. I want to share what my constituents have told me about these
    firings because behind every statistic is a real American.
      Jason, a former National Park Service employee from Grants, New
    Mexico, told me: I received outstanding reviews on my last evaluation
    just a week before I was laid off. The local economy here in Grants
    will be devastated. I moved here to serve my community. I joined the
    local library board, and I am serving my people, but now I am afraid I
    will have to leave. There are no options left.

      Devrie, who works with the Friends of Bosque del Apache National
    Wildlife Refuge, shared: We already lost two employees at the refuge.
    We were understaffed before, and now if we lose visitors, my job is
    next. The Bosque brings in thousands of tourism dollars to Socorro, New
    Mexico. This isn't just about jobs. It is about the future of our
    communities, and what is happening is reckless.
      Madison, a former probationary Federal employee in Carlsbad, New
    Mexico, told me: I lost my dream job on February 14. Many of us had
    moved hours away from our families to serve. In Carlsbad alone, the
    government wasted nearly half a million taxpayer dollars training us,
    only to fire us months later. These mass firings cannot go unnoticed.
      Claudia, who worked at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, shared this:
    In 4\1/2\ months, I dedicated myself to my work, training others,
    providing emergency medical services, ensuring visitor safety. Then,
    without warning, I was fired. I was told I failed to prove my skills,
    despite my experience, my positive evaluations, and my commitment. How
    does firing somebody making less than $40,000 a year solve the debt
    crisis?
      These are the voices of our rural communities. They are not nameless,
    faceless numbers to be scratched off by somebody who wasn't even
    elected by the American people. From their country and from this
    administration, they deserve better.
      As Elon Musk is busy firing thousands of New Mexicans, the Republican
    majority is preparing today a budget that offers American taxpayer
    dollars to give massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. I
    hope that my colleagues can justify eliminating a $40,000 Federal job
    at a national park for wildfire prevention so that a millionaire can
    take another summer vacation to Aruba.
      I urge my colleagues to recognize the human cost of these reckless
    firings and funding freezes. I am sure the constituents of my
    colleagues will make it clear to them even if they don't listen to us
    today.
      (English translation of the statement made in Spanish by Mr. Vasquez
    is as follows:)
      Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize a group of individuals who are the
    life force of our nation: our farmworkers. Their commitment and
    tireless efforts in the field ensure that every family in this country
    can access fresh, nutritious food. I see and hear you, and I am proud
    to represent you.
      Every day, these tireless workers face challenges that require
    strength and perseverance. Whether enduring extreme weather conditions
    or working long hours, their work sustains our economy and feeds our
    communities. Behind every meal we enjoy is the constant dedication of
    farm workers, who often go unnoticed.
      Mr. Speaker, hoy quiero reconocer a un grupo de personas que son la
    fuerza vital de nuestra nacion: nuestros trabajadores agricolas.
      Su compromiso y esfuerzos incansables en el campo aseguran que todas
    las familias de este pais puedan tener alimentos frescos y nutritivos.
    Los veo y los escucho y estoy orgulloso de representarlos.
      Cada dia, estos trabajadores incansables enfrentan desafios que
    requieren fortaleza y dedicacion. Trabajan muchas horas en condiciones
    climaticas extremas para sostener nuestra economia y alimentar a
    nuestras comunidades. Detras de la comida que disfrutamos esta la
    dedicacion constante de los trabajadores del campo que muchas veces son
    invisibles en este pais.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Mexico will provide a
    translation of his remarks to the desk.

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