[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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