Rep. Eugene Vindman has joined 24 other lawmakers in launching the bicameral Federal Workforce Caucus to bolster efforts to protect federal employees and ensure that they can serve the American people free from political influence, his office announced Thursday.
“Virginia is home to tens of thousands of federal workers, contractors and service members who serve with a dedication to country, not political party,” Vindman, whose 7th District includes the Fredericksburg area, said in a prepared statement. “As their Representative, a 25-year Army officer, and as the husband of a former federal employee, I know that federal workers are essential to the success, safety and stability of our nation. I will never back down from a fight to protect and honor those who choose a life of service. I am proud to be an inaugural member of the Federal Workforce Caucus.”
The caucus, according to Vindman’s office, will provide a platform for Members of Congress to:
- Support and strengthen the federal civilian workforce and the merit-based civil service, ensuring it continues to serve American families and businesses effectively;
- Protect the integrity and nonpartisan nature of federal employment;
- Promote policies that enhance recruitment, retention and morale across federal agencies;
- Showcase examples of how government programs and federal employees positively impact the lives of Americans;
- Develop and advance data-driven policies that foster modernization and innovation in the federal workforce, including pay competitiveness, performance optimization and professional development; and
- Encourage dialogue among Members of Congress, current and former federal employees, unions and organizations representing federal workers, and subject-matter experts to guide efforts to modernize government and build a workforce capable of meeting Americans’ needs.
Reducing the size of the federal workforce has been a focus of President Donald Trump’s second term, and Vindman and many of his colleagues have criticized the administration’s actions.
The caucus membership includes Vindman’s five fellow Democrats in Virginia’s House delegation, as well as the Old Dominion’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, several Maryland lawmakers, and Washington, D.C., Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
“Virginia is home to hundreds of thousands of hardworking public servants who keep our country safe and provide critical services to their fellow Americans,” Kaine, a Democrat, said in a statement. “As the Trump administration attacks and vilifies this dedicated workforce, we must push back. I’m glad to join my colleagues in launching the Federal Workforce Caucus to protect and strengthen the federal workforce.”
Said Warner, also a Democrat: “Federal workers in Virginia and across the country are the backbone of services Americans depend on. As the Trump administration continues to target federal workers and use them as political bargaining chips, it is critical for lawmakers to come together and defend the job security, pay and benefits of our dedicated civil service.”
Vindman, a native of Ukraine, is a member of other caucuses of lawmakers, including the Congressional Ukraine Caucus.
He recently announced the launch of the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus to find legislative solutions to what his office called the ongoing energy affordability crisis in Virginia and around the country.
