Salem, Oregon – Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree from Maine want the Trump Administration to suspend its plans to cut jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Interior. Merkley and Pingree, who are the Ranking Members of the Senate and House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittees, sent letters saying that the proposed Reductions in Force (RIFs) will hurt efforts to protect the environment and public health across the country.
In their correspondence to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the lawmakers accused both agencies of failing to operate transparently with Congress and neglecting their core missions. They stressed that these kinds of big staff cuts can’t happen without the consent of Congress and the Appropriations Committees, who are in charge of funding and organizational changes.
“The Agency’s ongoing failure to provide complete information and to work transparently with Congress is unacceptable. As a reminder any reorganization, reprogramming, or funding change is subject to the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee,” write Merkley and Pingree.
Merkley and Pingree said that years of experience are at stake and warned that losing workers skilled in toxicology, water science, and environmental impact assessment would have long-term effects. They claimed that reducing these specialist jobs does not advance efficiency; instead, it puts public safety at risk.
These are not abstract bureaucratic concerns; these are matters of quality of life, cost of living, and public health,” the Ranking Members told EPA Administrator Zeldin.
A second letter to Secretary Burgum asked for immediate explanation on the Interior Department’s intentions, which are said to involve further personnel cuts. The congressmen said that the agency was going forward without the briefings and materials that Congress needs to evaluate such moves.
“There is simply zero justification for the drastic staffing cuts that have already been implemented, let alone another RIF,” they stated. They warned that further losses would “cripple the ability to manage public lands, uphold tribal trust responsibilities, and respond to growing wildfire threats.”
Merkley and Pingree also highlighted how important Interior employees are. They oversee more than 500 million acres of public land in all 50 states, including park rangers, refuge staff, and recreation specialists. They also said that RIFs could delay financing to Tribal governments that have self-governance agreements, which would make it even harder to provide basic services.
Their message to both agencies was clear: Congress wants openness, responsibility, and respect for the laws that protect federal workers and the public good.
Full text of the letter to Administrator Zeldin is available HERE, and the full text of the letter to Secretary Burgum is available HERE.
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