The Trump administration has made a huge impact on America’s federal workforce — and not in a good way. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by billionaire Elon Musk, has fired both new and career workers less than just two months after it formed. Even though the agency stated that “large-scale reductions in force” will be better for the country, per the Associated Press, these decisions already have negative consequences.
Here are five ways DOGE firings will impact the U.S.
Loss of climate and weather workforce causes critical public safety issues
Even though nearly half of the weather service’s forecast offices were already understaffed, DOGE fired meteorologists and technicians that help inform daily weather forecasts in numerous U.S. cities. It also terminated scientists who build and sustain weather models that serve as the crux of weather forecasting around the world. Staffers who warned the public about tsunamis, tornadoes, and hurricanes were also fired, making these terminations a critical public safety issue.
Shrinking the Defense Department could impact military readiness
Last month, acting undersecretary Darin Selnick said in a statement that the Pentagon hopes to trim 5% to 8% of its civilian staff. Nearly 5,400 probationary workers were terminated shortly before a hiring freeze was enacted. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel plan to see how this will affect the nation’s ability to defend itself. According to Title 10 section 129a of the US code, mitigating risk to US military readiness takes precedence over cost.
Layoffs at Department of Health and Human Services will most likely harm public health across the U.S.
On Feb. 14, officials for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they were going to lose around one-tenth of the agency’s workforce (which was estimated to be 1,300 probationary employees). The final number was closer to 700, with numerous American Public Health Association employees being let go. Seeing as those employees advocated for public health policies and programs at the federal and state levels, the public has lost folks who help prevent and treat life-threatening diseases.
Department of Energy terminations will worsen U.S. climate crisis
Around 2,000 people were fired from the Department of Energy, including at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington insisted that this will only worsen the country’s environmental crisis. “These reckless firings will slow down critical cleanup work and make workers less safe — trying to run Hanford with a skeleton crew is a recipe for disaster that could have irreversible impacts,” she said.
Dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may lead to deaths across the world
DOGE ended nearly all foreign assistance programs operated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), per NPR. The agency has been active for over 60 years and has worked to reduce poverty in over 120 countries. Advocates have stated that cuts to USAID’s programs would cause death in places like Sudan, where over 1,000 kitchens supported by the agency have shuttered.