Ellen Mei, a MA-07 Constituent & USDA Employee, was Fired by Admin After Media Interview Warning of Looming Hunger Crisis

Pressley Has Led Efforts in Congress to Reinstate and Protect the Rights of Federal Workers, Advocated for Unlawfully Terminated Workers in the MA-07

Text of Letter

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding the reinstatement of her constituent, Ellen Mei—a union leader and career public servant at USDA who has helped to administer food assistance—who was unlawfully terminated after warning the public of the administration’s cuts to SNAP and staff layoffs that would jeopardize access to food for millions.

“Our federal workers and the essential services they provide communities have been under attack by the Trump Administration long before their record setting, manufactured government shutdown, but the retaliatory firing of Ellen Mei for exercising her protected right to free speech is egregious and dangerous,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement alongside the letter. “While communities scrambled to mitigate Trump’s attempts to deny families their SNAP benefits despite court orders, Trump and the USDA were working around the clock to stifle Ellen’s voice and dissuade others from standing up and speaking out. That’s why I’m fighting for Ellen and dedicated federal workers like her who took an oath to serve and give back to our communities daily—to literally feed our neighbors. USDA must immediately reinstate her and allow her to get back to the service she has been called to and provided with distinction.”

Today, November 14^th at 1:00pm, Rep. Pressley will be joining Ms. Mei at a rally to speak out in solidarity with her and federal workers unlawfully terminated and mistreated by the Trump administration.

The rally will be held at the Tip O’Neill Federal Building. Media are asked to RSVP here.

Ms. Mei is one of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers impacted by Donald Trump’s unlawful firing frenzy since he entered office and recently received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) after participating in a media interview in her personal capacity. The NOPR came during Trump and Republicans’ government shutdown, in which they weaponized critical food security programs, refused to fund SNAP, and let families go hungry.

“Ms. Mei joined the USDA to serve her country and her fellow Americans who rely on the critical services of the Agency you are charged with leading and stewarding,” wrote Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “Like every public servant, she took an oath to serve this nation, protect and honor the Constitution, and dedicate her labor in pursuit of the USDA’s mission.”

During Republicans’ government shutdown, press outlets nationwide interviewed impacted constituencies, including federal employees, to inform the American public of their lived experiences under the shutdown. On October 2nd, Ms. Mei exercised her right to free speech to share her experience as a federal worker during a nationally televised interview. The next day, October 3rd, Ms. Mei received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) that noted the interview as cause for her removal from her position – a direct violation of her First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

“Ms. Mei remains committed to continuing that mission and our shared constituents would be well served with her in her current position,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley continued in her letter. “I am urging you to rescind the NOPR and allow her to resume her duties when the federal shutdown ends.”

Text of the letter is available here.

Congresswoman Pressley, an outspoken champion for workers and organized labor, has led efforts in Congress to halt terminations and protect federal workers. In February, Rep. Pressley 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, and she has applauded numerous court rulings mandating their reinstatement. In March, Rep. Pressley led her Massachusetts colleagues demanding answers about the impact of the Musk-Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal workers in Massachusetts. Rep. Pressley was also proud to welcome Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and terminated HUD worker as her guest to the presidential joint address to Congress.

Amid the Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Rep. Pressley has continued to fight to defend healthcare, reopen the government, and protect federal workers and the essential services they provide.

• Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans for harming families across America by shutting down the government, unlawfully cutting food assistance, and jacking up healthcare costs. Congresswoman Pressley also questioned witnesses about the harmful, misleading stereotypes pushed by Republicans about who relies on federal programs like the Affordable Care Act, SNAP, and Medicaid.
• Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening and press conference with SNAP-dependent food retailers to make plain how the Trump-Republican shutdown and ongoing uncertainty over November SNAP benefits is harming Massachusetts families and our local economy.
• Rep. Pressley and the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) convened to demand Donald Trump fund SNAP, with the authority and money he has readily available, to keep 42 million people in America fed—63% of whom are women and over 1 million of whom reside in Massachusetts.
• Rep. Pressley joined Reps. Jahana Hayes, Angie Craig, and 211 House Democrats on a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown. 
• Rep. Pressley joined Senator Ed Markey and leaders from Massachusetts food banks to sound the alarm on the growing crisis of food insecurity under the Republican government shutdown and its impact on Massachusetts families.
• Rep. Pressley urged National Grid and Eversource to issue an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs for households impacted by the government shutdown, including federal workers, federal contractors, and the people who depend on them.
  • Following the Congresswoman’s letter, National Grid of Massachusetts announced specific support and a payment plan opportunity for federal employees, contractors, and active military personnel in Massachusetts who are impacted by the government shutdown and concerned about paying their energy bill.
• Rep. Pressley participated in a House Steering and Policy Committee hearing in which she slammed Republicans for raising healthcare costs for families across the country and shutting down the government instead of addressing the healthcare crisis they created.
• Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus to call attention to the impacts of the Republican-manufactured health care crisis and government shutdown on women, families, and workers in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country.
• Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Republicans after they chose to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to protect families and save healthcare for millions.
• Just days into the government shutdown, Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening in Boston to highlight the harm of the shutdown to MA-07 constituents – federal workers, patients, advocates, and more.
• Amid government shutdown, Rep. Pressley and Senator Tina Smith reintroduced bill to provide back pay for federal contract workers, including low-wage food service and janitorial staff.
• Just hours before the Republicans shut down the government, Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates, colleagues, and impacted folks to demand Republicans protect healthcare and keep the government open
• Congresswoman Pressley stood in solidarity with workers and families who would be impacted by the government shutdown.
• Rep. Pressley also joined an all-day event with House Democrats to hold the line against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans.

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