Reinstatement Follows Pressley’s Congressional Letter Calling on Watchdog Agency to Halt Terminations and Increase Protections for Unfairly Fired Federal Workers

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) applauded the reinstatement of more than 5,600 probationary federal workers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that had been wrongfully terminated in Trump and Musk’s onslaught of attacks on federal workers.

The reinstatement follows Congresswoman Pressley’s letter last week, in which she led 85 lawmakers in writing to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) urging OSC to ensure all unfairly fired civil servants are immediately rehired and protected from greater abuse.

“This is a victory for thousands who were unlawfully fired under Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unprecedented assault on our federal workforce. Now, more than 5,600 dedicated federal workers can continue to deliver the critical services our communities demand and deserve,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “We will continue to stand up to the Trump-Musk administration’s disgraceful attacks on our civil service, and we won’t stop pushing until all of our dedicated workers are reinstated and made whole with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

The ruling came from the Merit Systems Protection Board, a federal civil service board that blocked the firings of thousands of USDA workers for the the next 45 days, noting that their dismissals may have violated federal laws and procedures for carrying out layoffs.

The board’s ruling came in response to the Office of Special Counsel’s petition against the terminations, which Congresswoman Pressley applauded in her letter last week.

OSC is an independent, nonpartisan agency with investigative and prosecutorial authority to protect federal workers from prohibited personnel practices that violate the merit system. These violations include employment discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, coercing political activity, and failure to adhere to laws, rules, or regulations.

Earlier this month, Rep. Pressley rallied alongside Massachusetts federal workers to stand up against the unlawful abuse and firings perpetrated by the Musk-Trump administration.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a steadfast advocate for the rights and protections of federal workers, the defense of the essential services they provide to the American public, and the necessary oversight and efficiency of the federal government.

• On March 4, 2025, Rep. Pressley welcomed Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and former HUD worker who was unjustly terminated as part of Musk and Trump’s assault on federal agencies.
• 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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