House Democrats are calling on EPA to reinstate dozens of employees who raised alarm about the agency’s direction under President Donald Trump.
In a letter sent Monday to Administrator Lee Zeldin, more than 100 lawmakers, led by Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), requested EPA bring back staffers who signed an open dissent letter that criticized Trump administration policies on climate change and scientific research as well as its treatment of the federal workforce. Soon after, several of those employees were placed on administrative leave by the agency and have been told they’re under investigation.
“We are deeply concerned that placing these employees on administrative leave was a violation of their First Amendment rights,” the Democratic members said in the letter.
They added, “The abrupt sidelining of these employees appears to be without consideration of the Agency’s workload and the impact their removal from the workplace will have on public health and our environment.”
