Claire Bergstresser, Who Has Dedicated Her Career to Helping Folks in Massachusetts Access Fair Housing, Was Fired as Part of Musk & Trump’s Assault on Federal Agencies

Pressley Led Key Effort This Week to Reinstate and Protect the Rights of Federal Workers

Photos of Claire and Rep. Pressley (Dropbox)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) is honored to welcome Claire Bergstresser as her distinguished guest to the Presidential joint address to Congress on March 4, 2025. Claire, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and wheelchair user, has worked for the last several years as a federal worker of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – motivated by her belief in the fundamental right to accessible, fair housing and her drive as a person with a disability to stand up for others. On February 14^th, Claire was terminated from her service at HUD without severance, dignity, or cause.

As a leading voice in Congress for workers’ justice, housing justice, and disability justice, Rep. Pressley is grateful to have Claire by her side to platform her story, stand up for vulnerable communities and those in need of accessible housing, and push back against Trump’s unlawful attack on federal workers. Rep. Pressley has been an outspoken advocate for the rights and protections of federal workers amid the Musk-Trump Administration’s unlawful onslaught on federal agencies.

“It is because of the dedicated daily work of Claire and her HUD colleagues that vulnerable families in the Massachusetts 7th have had a place to call home – without discrimination, harassment, and stigma – and I’m deeply honored to have her join me as my guest,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “Claire is one of hundreds of thousands of workers across our nation who have been threatened, abused, and fired for no legitimate reason, and her story is a powerful reminder of why we must use every tool we have to push back against Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s assault on our democracy. Our communities are made stronger by dedicated civil servants like Claire, and I am proud to stand in solidarity with them.”

“As a federal worker with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, I swore an oath to serve the American people and fight for every American’s right to access fair housing without fear of discrimination or harassment. For a federal worker, supporting our communities is a duty, a privilege, and a necessity – not a waste of government resources,” said Claire Bergstresser. “While Donald Trump and Elon Musk may have ended my service, they will never put an end to my fight. I stand with my former colleagues and federal workers who are fearing their livelihoods are about to be torn from them. I stand with the vulnerable communities in Massachusetts it was an honor to serve, including those living with disabilities, like me. And I am proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley as we fight for a better future for everyone in Massachusetts and across the country.”

“Claire is one of thousands of HUD unionized staff who have worked tirelessly to support the Department’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. Rather than receive deserved recognition for her achievements in combatting housing discrimination in New England, Claire’s dedication was met with an unceremonious layoff. This layoff is part of a systematic attack on the federal workforce and is inconsistent with Executive Agencies’ obligations under statute, regulation, and Collective Bargaining Agreements,” said Dave Cotrone, First Vice President AFGE Local 3258 Representing HUD in New England. “Attacks on HUD workers are attacks on HUD’s mission. Attacks on federal workers are attacks on workers everywhere. We will use every tool available to fight for the rights of our members, like Claire, now and in the future.”

In recent weeks, Rep. Pressley and Claire rallied alongside Massachusetts federal workers to stand up against the unlawful abuse and firings perpetrated by the Musk-Trump administration. Last week, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in a letter urging the Office of Special Counsel to immediately reinstate and expand protections for all unfairly fired federal workers.

Claire Bergstresser, 31-year-old resident of Everett, Massachusetts, has used mobility aids her whole life. She attended law school with a mission to give back to her community and upon graduation, she was told that she was the first wheelchair user to graduate from her program in over 13 years. After law school, she worked as an Equal Opportunity Specialist in the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, where she worked to fulfill the agency’s mission to enforce the statutorily protected rights of all Americans, including under the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and many others.

After Trump took office, Claire refused to accept the new Administration’s “Fork in the Road” resignation offer; she believed deeply in her work to support working families purchasing their first home, help families stay safely housed, assist immigrants and survivors of domestic violence, investigate sexual harassment, safeguard protections for people with disabilities, provide affordable housing, and much more. Last month, despite consistently receiving high marks during annual reviews and being reassured by her supervisors that her work was exemplary, Claire was one of thousands of probationary federal employees who received a termination notice.

Rep. Pressley and Claire (right) at a rally with federal workers in Boston. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe

At last year’s State of the Union Address, Rep. Pressley was joined by Priscilla Valentine, Boston teacher, first-generation American, and student debt relief recipient. In 2023, Rep. Pressley was joined by Jaqueline Sanches, a Mattapan resident, early educator, and mother of two. In 2021, Rep. Pressley was joined virtually by Christina Morris, a Hyde Park resident, union carpenter, and mother of four. In 2019, Rep. Pressley was joined by Estefany Pineda, a DACA recipient, as her guest to the State of the Union Address. In 2020, she invited Nneka Hall, a professional doula and healthcare justice advocate, as her guest to the State of the Union. In 2020 in the midst of the impeachment trial, the Congresswoman personally boycotted the speech and delivered the official response to the 2020 State of the Union Address on behalf of the Working Families Party.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a committed champion for federal workers, taking a stand to protect federal workers and the essential work they do for our communities and fighting for the necessary oversight and efficiency of the federal government.

• On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in a letter urging the Office of Special Counsel to immediate reinstate and expand protections for all unfairly fired federal workers.
• In a House Oversight Committee hearing on February 25, 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Elon Musk’s abuse of government efficiency through the fraudulent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member Maxine Waters, and advocates to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unlawful takeover of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
• On February 11, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley criticized the Trump-Musk administration for halting the critical work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with crypto scams on the rise.
• On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support hospitals, universities, and research institutions conducting lifesaving research.
• On February 10, 2025, as Trump and Musk threaten to dismantle the essential work of the U.S. Department of Education, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful floor speech to affirm the role of public education in American democracy.
• On February 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied outside the U.S. Department of Treasury to protest Elon Musk’s unlawful assault on federal agencies and our democracy.
• In January 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s illegal freeze on federal grants and loans and its harmful impact on vulnerable communities.

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