Twenty-two leading Democratic senators are warning President Donald Trump’s newly minted Interior secretary, Doug Burgum, that the administration’s effort to dramatically shrink the federal workforce could cripple the National Park Service just as millions of visitors descend on public parks for the summer season.
A hiring freeze ordered by Trump — which NPS insiders and observers say recently resulted in the halting of at least some seasonal job offers — could deal a blow to the park service’s ranks, especially if combined with his offer to the entire federal workforce to resign and receive administrative leave pay for several months, wrote Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and 21 other lawmakers in a Friday letter.
“If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers — or further terminations are made — park staffing will be in chaos,” they warned Burgum.
A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the resignation payout offer, setting a hearing date for Monday afternoon on a lawsuit brought by federal employee unions seeking to block the effort.
