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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 7 august 2019

Union: Mulvaney comments confirm agency moves meant to cut

By JOHN HANNA and ELLEN people.”“Under our pro- starting to rally together to
KNICKMEYER posal, every Western state see how we can make sure
Associated Press will gain additional staff re- we do this.”
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A sources,” Bernhardt said in The agency’s own inspec-
federal employees union a statement Tuesday. “This tor general’s office con-
charged Tuesday that re- approach will play an in- cluded this week that the
cent comments by acting valuable role in serving the USDA may have violated
White House chief of staff American people more ef- federal law by moving for-
Mick Mulvaney confirm ficiently.” ward on the relocation
the Trump administration’s Officials in Kansas and Mis- without advancing funding
“grand strategy” to cut the souri and their congres- approval from Congress.
federal workforce by relo- sional delegations were The agency disputed that,
cating agency offices out delighted with the USDA’s contending that the de-
of Washington. plans, believing the re- partment’s internal watch-
Mulvaney said last week search agencies to be dog was misinterpreting
that the U.S. Department In this Jan. 31, 2019, file photo, acting White House chief of staff a good fit for the region. federal law.
of Agriculture’s plan to re- Mick Mulvaney listens as President Donald Trump speaks during Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a U.S. House Majority Leader
locate several hundred of a meeting with American manufacturers in the Oval Office of Democrat, said she under- Steny Hoyer, a Maryland
jobs from Washington to the White House in Washington. stands that USDA employ- Democrat who has criti-
the Kansas City area is “a Associated Press ees are hesitant to uproot cized the relocation plans,
wonderful way to stream- agribusinesses. The Interior wartacki defended Mul- their families but they will said Tuesday in a state-
line government.” Speak- Department has offered a vaney’s comments Tuesday find advantages in the ment that Perdue “must
ing to a group of fellow similar rationale for break- as “commentary through a Kansas City area such as halt” them. He also said
Republicans in his home ing up the Bureau of Land political lens at a political “a reasonable cost of living Mulvaney’s comments sig-
state of South Carolina, he Management’s headquar- event.” He noted that U.S. and strong public schools.” nal the Trump administra-
said it’s “nearly impossible” ters and putting employees Agriculture Secretary Sonny The Economic Research tion’s “true intentions.”
to fire federal workers but in 11 western states. Perdue has said relocating Service examines issues in- “This administration’s con-
added that many will not Mulvaney said “the quiet the two agencies’ employ- cluding the rural economy, tinued assault on federal
move to “the real part of parts out loud,” said Aar- ees will save money on rent international trade, food employees is part of a
the country.” on Weiss, deputy director and employee costs, free- safety and programs that broader pattern to un-
Within days of taking office, of the Center for Western ing up more money for re- provide food assistance to dermine the government
President Donald Trump de- Priorities, a Denver-based search. poor Americans. The Na- agencies that serve the
clared a hiring freeze, and nonprofit critical of the “If some career bureau- tional Institute of Food and American people every
within months, Mulvaney, Trump administration’s Inte- crats would rather quit or Agriculture provides grants day,” Hoyer said in a state-
as director of the Office of rior Department. Weiss sees retire than move closer to for agricultural research. ment.
Management and Budget, an “intentional brain drain” the people they serve, de- The USDA said nearly 550 of Verardo said at least 55%
outlined a plan for reduc- to “get rid of expertise spite knowing that the re- the agencies’ roughly 640 of the affected USDA work-
ing the civilian workforce. across the government.” location will allow USDA to jobs would move by the ers — some 330 of them
But he said in his South Car- “This is part of their grand spend less money on rent end of September. — won’t move. And Laura
olina remarks that he’s tried strategy,” said Dave Verar- and more on research, The USDA says it is not cut- Dodson, an Economic Re-
to fire workers and “you do, president of the Ameri- then that is indeed a won- ting research. Deputy Un- search Service employee
can’t do it.” can Federation of Govern- derful way to streamline dersecretary Scott Hutchins and union steward, said the
The USDA said in June it ment Employees local that government,” Czwartacki said the department has USDA’s plans force people
would move most of the represents the USDA work- said. an aggressive hiring plan to who spent years studying
employees of the Eco- ers. “Reduce government U.S. Interior Secretary David fill vacancies. agricultural economics to
nomic Research Service so that people can come Bernhardt described the “Universities have contact- decide between pursuing
and National Institute of into power and do what- Bureau of Land Manage- ed us and asked us, ‘We their careers or uprooting
Food and Agriculture part- ever they want without any ment move as a “realign- can help support you and their lives to move to a lo-
ly to bring the two agen- checks and balances.” ment” to “better respond to so forth,’” he said. “A lot cation that may not be
cies closer to farmers and Spokesman John Cz- the needs of the American of groups at this point are final.q