Thursday, Karoline Leavitt, Press Secretary to President Trump, spoke before the press corps, and answered questions about the deferred resignation program:
“Well, the last time I checked in with Office of Personnel and Management [sic] there was more than 40,000 individuals, federal workers, who had accepted the buyout program. We expect that number to increase, and that alone, just the 40,000, again we expect it to increase, is going to save the American people tens of millions of dollars. And we encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer. If they don’t want to show up to the office – if they want to rip the American people off – then they’re welcome to take this buyout and we’ll find highly competent individuals who want to fill these roles.”
She claims that federal employees like me are ripping off the American people.
I serve my country and all of you every day, yet I’m now being accused of ripping off the American people just for [checks my notes…] teleworking two days a week.
Then, she asserts that 40,000 federal employees resigning is saving the government tens of millions of dollars! But in the next breath, she states these employees will be replaced. So where’s the savings? Won’t the tens of millions need to be used to pay the new workers? Plus, those who resigned are still entitled to up to eight months of pay, making this costlier than if they had just been allowed to stay.
And let’s be clear on this: there’s no evidence that a single one of the 40,000 even teleworked in the first place. The “Fork in the Road” email was sent to EVERY federal employee, not just those who worked remotely or teleworked.
This isn’t about saving money. It’s about replacing career federal employees with people whose loyalty is to a particular agenda rather than the Constitution.
Calling it “RTO” (“Return-to-Office”) when most of us were already back in the office at least part-time is just a way to make us look lazy and dishonest. It’s demoralizing.
Work is already challenging enough without feeling like my own president – and half the country – hate me for simply doing my job.
For those of you who support the direction this administration is taking, I have an honest question: Why do I deserve this?
Don’t give me anecdotes that you heard about someone who heard from someone that a federal worker took a bubble bath instead of working.
Some of you have known me for decades. Do you honestly believe I’m cheating the system just because I work from home two days a week instead of commuting four hours round-trip to D.C. to do the exact same work? Tell me why I, your friend, deserves to be called the problem.
I’m genuinely asking. I will listen. But I want a real answer.
My hope is that people take a moment to consider the real impact of these attacks on the people who have dedicated their careers to public service.
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