reSee.it - Related Post Feed
@libsoftiktok - Libs of TikTok
The DNC had to set up a gofundme to pay staff after Kamala spent over $1 Billion on her failed campaign and ended millions of dollars in debt https://t.co/euTTojGrW4
Video Transcript AI Summary
The DNC Union members were caught off guard by layoffs, receiving only one day's notice. They have raised about $16,000 of their $25,000 goal, indicating a lack of enthusiasm among donors who have been contributing small amounts regularly. This trend suggests that people may not be willing to donate again, especially for the Harris campaign, which now relies on Tim Walz to seek assistance.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: The DNC Union people didn't see layoffs coming where they were gonna get one day's notice? Doesn't sound like it. No. And, they are about $16,000 of a $25,000 goal. It doesn't seem like they're, that people who donated a lot of money for months, even just 10, $15 at a time on those recurring payments that you get the text messages about, constantly in an election season, it doesn't seem like there's much of an appetite, for people to open their wallets again, for that or for the Harris campaign, that now needs Tim Walz to go out and ask for help.
You know, how many
reSee.it AI Summary
It's incredibly embarrassing to see DNC staffers who believed in Kamala Harris's commitment to America and the economy get laid off without notice or severance. To make matters worse, her campaign is $20 million in debt, leading to a GoFundMe for those affected.
@ImMeme0 - I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸
HOW FVCKING EMBARRASSING!🤣🤣🤣 DNC staffers who claimed Kamala Harris cares about America and will fix the economy were kicked to the curb, left unpaid, and, on top of that, her campaign is $20 million in debt. Now, they have had to organize a GoFundMe for their colleagues who were laid off without notice or severance.
@DefiyantlyFree - Insurrection Barbie
DC Residents said they were not fans of DOGE until they learned how the government spends their tax dollars. https://t.co/VLkhBuqAd1
Video Transcript AI Summary
Do you think the government spends too much money? Absolutely, it's a given. Recently, they spent $750,000 to study whether it was one small step for a man or one small step for mankind during the moon landing. How is that justified? It's ridiculous.
Then there's a million dollars spent to see if cocaine makes Japanese quail more sexually promiscuous. Who cares about quail? And $100,000 to determine if tequila or gin makes sunfish more aggressive? That's absurd.
These expenditures are not a good use of taxpayer dollars, especially when you consider how much is spent on military funding.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Fans of Doge, but when the Fox News at night team asked them about government spending tonight, we got some revealing answers. Do you
Speaker 1: think the government spends too much money? Of
Speaker 0: course. Yeah. Well, by definition. Right?
Speaker 1: Do you think the government spends too much money? That's a loaded question. The government recently spent 750 k to study whether if it was one small set for a man or one small set for a man, the moon landing. How does that make you feel?
Speaker 0: I would wonder how in the world they spent that money. Stupid.
Speaker 1: Could you share taxpayer money?
Speaker 0: No. Absolutely not. I mean, aside from whether they should have spent it, how do you spend $750,000 on that question?
Speaker 1: 1,000,000 to study if cocaine makes Japanese quail more sexually promiscuous.
Speaker 0: Quail to birds? Absolutely not. I know they're not doing it. Stupid. Why not?
Who cares?
Speaker 1: A 100 k to study if tequila or gin makes sunfish more aggressive.
Speaker 0: Sunfish. Wow. Who cares? It's a 100 k compared to the what? How much is our my military spending out?
Speaker 1: Good use of taxpayer dollars?
Speaker 0: Not a good use
Speaker 1: of my
reSee.it AI Summary
Happy Festivus! It's that time again to air grievances, and I have plenty, especially after another year in Congress. I’ll be roasting the ruling class in D.C. while enjoying the holiday spirit. This year, I’m targeting figures like Fauci and former Speaker McCarthy, who failed spectacularly in his campaigns. I’m also excited to leverage my subpoena power as the incoming chairman of the Senate HSGAC committee. Plus, I've published my new Waste Report to highlight government spending issues. Stay tuned for more festive commentary!
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
It's that time of year again. Happy Festivus! I've got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
It’s hard to decide where to start these grievances. Every year, I think, there can’t be THAT many more can there? But when you’re surrounded by people in Congress every day, it’s not a problem at all.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Can you imagine deciding who you’ll be mad at on any given day? It’s almost impossible.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
So here I am, and once again, I'm going to be playful, sometimes not so playful, and I'll be roasting the ruling class in Washington, DC. Because how else will you all get into the holiday spirit? Grab your eggnog, sit down near your tree, and prepare to see some chestnuts roasted.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Festivus has been a Holiday tradition for me for over 10 years, and I hope you’ve incorporated the airing of grievances into your family holiday time together. It really helps set the mood, I think.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
It's hard to decide where to start this year. Fauci? Maybe. He may be gone, but he's not forgotten. Biden? Which one? Harris? Trump? CONGRESS? So many targets, so little attention span this morning. It might break 40 degrees here in Kentucky today, so this might all be canceled for golf.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Last year, I hoped that Congress would hold Dr. Fauci accountable. Though the House tried, he's still walking around a free man. Well, he's got two new major problems for Christmas this year — I'm the incoming chairman of the Senate HSGAC committee, and I have subpoena power to force him to turn over everything he's been hiding.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Even better, my good friend @RobertKennedyJr will be in charge of HHS and happily receive the subpoena for other documents. Do you think he might be happy to turn them over? Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus, Tony.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Speaking of people who got run out of town but won't entirely go away, Happy Festivus to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy! Kevin spent nearly $30 million trying to defeat conservatives who voted him out last year. But he only won one race when President Trump was also against his target. Basically, he completely and utterly failed. He lost races by 27 and 30 points. @SpeakerMcCarthy proved as bad at running campaigns as he did the House. But he's still on my TV!? WHY?
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
@RobertKennedyJr I noted last year that I would be roasting the next speaker and the gang who put him in power by this Festivus. As usual, I am right. I want to be the first to congratulate former @SpeakerJohnson, who will be gone before DC gets warm again.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
@RobertKennedyJr @SpeakerJohnson Speaking of all the things CONGRESS does wrong, I've published my BRAND NEW 2024 edition of the Waste Report! https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-paul-festivus-report-a-great-start-for-doge/
The Paul Festivus Report: A Great Start for DOGE
Here’s the laundry-list of things the government shouldn’t be spending money on—including suppressing articles from The American Conservative.
theamericanconservative.com
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
I was a one-man @DOGE before @DOGE was a gleam in the eyes of amped-up tech executives, and new media barons got behind the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY happy they're here. I passed along 2,000 pages of waste to @ElonMusk and @VivekGRamaswamy in the interest of curbing government waste. Now, they don't have to work too hard to find what I've already found.
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
Here are some of my favorites from this report, soon to become yours, @ElonMusk's, @VivekGRamaswamy's, AND @JONIERNST's. Ok, maybe not hers. I don't know who she thinks she's kidding. She's voted for every spending bill since she got here… Read more here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3268603/rand-paul-2024-festivus-report/
Rand Paul’s 2024 ‘Festivus Report’: Border security for Paraguay, cocaine rats, and drag queen ice-skating - Washington Examiner
It's Dec. 23, Happy Festivus! And keeping with his tradition, Sen. Rand Paul released his annual "Festivus Report" highlighting reckless government spending.
washingtonexaminer.com
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
@RobertKennedyJr @SpeakerJohnson @DOGE @elonmusk @VivekGRamaswamy @joniernst There's a lot more, and I'll be back in a bit to tell you all about it! We will talk about cabinet picks, the presidential race, Biden, Harris, more waste, and more Christmas and Festivus Cheer!
@RandPaul - Rand Paul
One thing that people should know, I tell jokes here, in case you weren’t here for other years. I welcome @joniernst to @DOGE, along with anyone else old or new to the massive problems our spending and debt are causing.
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 #BREAKING: Nearly ALL USAID employees have lost access to their emails and portals due to actions taken by @ElonMusk and DOGE, per PBS The Democrats’ slush fund for corruption is ON ITS KNEES! 🔥 And they’re about to be fully exposed. https://t.co/Kjp0FQfK8A
@DefiantLs - Defiant L’s
DOGE subcommittee invites NPR, PBS chiefs to testify on their federal funding. https://t.co/U1q1Q5SDPs
Video Transcript AI Summary
Uri Berliner, a senior editor at NPR, has resigned following his comments about the network's liberal bias. Berliner, who worked at NPR for 25 years, stated he could not continue in a newsroom where he felt disparaged by the new CEO. He acknowledged NPR's historical liberal bent but noted a shift towards a more activist stance in recent years. In his resignation, he criticized NPR's coverage of events like the 2016 election and systemic racism, claiming it reflected a bias against former President Trump. NPR's editor-in-chief, Edith Chapin, disagreed with Berliner, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in their reporting.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: We have breaking news now. The NPR senior editor who revealed to the world the invasive liberal bias at NPR has just resigned. Now remember, we first reported to you Uri Berliner was suspended for five days without pay this week, and that happened after he wrote the article that you see there, the headline of in the free press last week. Chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel. Mike, this was quick.
Speaker 1: No doubt about it, Harris. After those public comments about pervasive left wing bias at NPR, now the senior editor, early Uri Berliner, writing on x, quote, I'm resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for twenty five years. I don't support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism, but I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my free press essay. In the fallout of his scathing public commentary about NPR, Berliner wrote in the free press, quote, it is true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open minded, curious culture prevailed.
We were nerdy, but not knee jerk, activist, or scolding. In recent years, however, that has changed. In response, editor in chief, Edith Chapin, said she strongly disagreed in a memo to staff obtained by Fox, quote, we're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories. We believe that inclusion among our staff with our sourcing and in our overall coverage is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world. Berliner gave examples criticizing coverage of Russiagate in the twenty sixteen election, embracing the theory of systemic racism and dismissing the possibility COVID escaped from the Wuhan lab.
Key conservatives on Capitol Hill say this is really no surprise. Berliner says the election of Donald Trump in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair, and he maintains coverage shifted toward efforts to damage or topple president Trump's presidency. Harris?
Speaker 0: Wow. That's a lot. So he told the truth. They put pressure on him. The CEO leaned in hard.
He quit. And can you blame him blame him? They made it quite clear he wasn't welcome for telling the truth. Mike Emanuel, thank you very much for being with
Speaker 1: me
Speaker 0: on the breaking news.
@Crazymoments01 - Crazy Moments
@WallStreetApes Senator Kennedy on what DOGE found USAID spent money on. https://t.co/LDOtKolmyy
Video Transcript AI Summary
USAID, with 10,000 employees and a $40 billion annual budget, has drawn scrutiny for its spending. Investigations revealed funding for electric vehicles in Vietnam, a transgender clinic in India, and $1.5 million to a Serbian LGBTQ group for diversity initiatives. A Middle East Forum study showed $164 million spent on radical organizations globally, including $122 million to groups linked to terrorist organizations. Millions were also directed to Hamas-controlled organizations in Gaza, groups calling for the removal of Jews, and projects in Guatemala for sex changes. Other questionable expenditures include funding for a Sesame Street show in Iraq, combating misinformation in Kazakhstan, and providing meals to a group linked to Al-Qaeda. Additional examples include funding LGBT advocacy in Jamaica and projects in Cuba, Belarus, and Macedonia. These findings raise concerns about how taxpayer money is allocated.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: He found that the USAID has 10,000 people. 10,000 people, employees. And every year, they give away $40,000,000,000. Mister Musk, also found and I'm not saying that that all of this money is wasteful. I'm not.
Some of this money, I'm sure, does some good. That's why secretary Rubio is gonna revamp the the the department to separate the good from the bad. But this is the kind of stuff Mr. Musk found. He he found that the USAID, gave money to support electric vehicles in Vietnam.
Our money, taxpayer money. He found that, USAID gave money to a transgender clinic in India. I didn't know that. I bet the American people didn't know that. He found that, USAID gave $1,500,000 to a Serbian LB LGBTQ group called Grupa.
I probably mispronounced that. My apologies. Anyway, they got $1,500,000 to quote, advance diversity, equity, inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business community. What else did mister Musk found that my colleagues don't wanna talk about? Well, he he reviewed a study and then went and checked it.
The study was done by the Middle East Forum. They found that USAID spent $164,000,000 to support radical organizations about around the world. We're not talking cub scout troops here. We're talking about radical organizations around the world. They gave a hundred and $22,000,000 of that to groups aligned with foreign terrorist organizations.
Our taxpayer money. According to this report in mister Musk, the USAID has given millions of dollars to, quote, organizations in Gaza controlled by Hamas. Why why why aren't my colleagues talking about that? Recipients of the money they found have, quote, called for their lands to be cleansed from the impurity of Jews. That's what we're getting with foreign aid too.
What else? I'm not gonna spend my whole time talking about this, but nobody else is talking about it. They're just talking about the process and mister Musk, and he's a mean guy, and he shouldn't be looking at our spending. Well, he is. And I kinda find that I kinda find what he's found out interesting.
He found that we gave $2,000,000, USAID did, for sex changes in Guatemala. He found that we gave $20,000,000 to produce a new Sesame Street show in Iraq. He found that we, we gave $4,500,000 of taxpayer money to combat miss disinformation in Kazakhstan. He found that we gave $10,000,000, USAID did, of meals to an Al Qaeda linked terrorist group called the Nusra Front. Mister Musk found that we gave $7,900,000 of taxpayer money to a project that would teach Sri Lankan journalists to avoid binary gendered language.
We took the USAID took $8,000,000 and gave it to a bunch of journalists in Sri Lanka to teach them how to avoid binary gendered language. I don't know what the hell binary gendered language is. I think I do. You think most taxpayers would support that? Why are we talking about that?
The USAID gave $1,500,000 to promote LGBT advocacy in Jamaica. They gave $1,500,000 to rebuild the Cuban media ecosystem. They gave $1,500,000 for, quote, art for inclusion of people with disabilities in Belarus. Another $3,900,000 for LGBT causes in Macedonia.
@MrReaganUSA - Mr Reagan 🇺🇸
This is the Government Accountability Office Building. These guys are supposed to do what DOGE does. They currently employ 3,275 people. They do nothing. DOGE employs, like... 20. https://t.co/s2y6hDGylq
Video Transcript AI Summary
Today, I walked past the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Building in Washington, DC. The GAO is supposed to audit federal departments and prevent fraud and inefficiencies, but it seems ineffective. The building is massive, filled with numerous offices and employees, yet they fail to make an impact. Many believe they protect corruption within the federal government. Despite the size and resources, the GAO's recommendations are largely ignored, and they seem unable to fulfill their purpose. It's surprising to see such a large establishment that does not accomplish its intended goals.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Alright. So today, I went for a walk in Washington, DC, and I walk I just happened to walk past this building, the Government Accountability Office Building, GAO, they call it. This is a department that is essentially supposed to do the things that Doge is doing, that Elon Musk's Doge department is doing. They're supposed to audit various departments in the federal government. They're supposed to stop fraud.
They're supposed to stop inefficiencies, that sort of thing. But they're not doing it. And so Doge is doing it. And this is my reaction to stumbling upon this building.
Speaker 1: Look how big how big this building is. Look at this. Look how big this is. Look at that. Look how big that is.
Speaker 2: That is insane. Look how many offices there are.
Speaker 1: I don't know how deep this building is,
Speaker 2: but that is insane. That office building
Speaker 1: filled with all of those employees cannot audit anything. They cannot none of their recommendations are taken seriously. A lot of people think they're protecting corruption in the federal government. And this building is just full of people and they can't do a dang thing. It's shocking.
Speaker 0: And by the way, way, I did go around the corner to see how deep the building goes. It's like 30 windows deep as well. I mean, this building is enormous, and they don't do a thing. They don't do anything.
reSee.it AI Summary
I see my Democratic colleagues upset about Elon Musk and DOGE, but they’re missing the bigger picture. Musk has uncovered significant issues, like the massive spending at USAID, which amounts to hundreds of millions, possibly billions, that they should be addressing instead.
@KanekoaTheGreat - KanekoaTheGreat
Sen. John Kennedy: Democrats Critical of DOGE Are Not Talking About What Elon Musk Is ‘Finding’ "A lot of my Democratic colleagues and members of the tofu crowd are very upset and screaming like Musk stole their dog. But they are not talking about what Mr. Musk is finding. Just at the USAID, he found hundreds of millions, maybe billions of dollars of spending p*rn."
Video Transcript AI Summary
Senator John Kennedy expressed his appreciation for the current president's willingness to engage with the press, contrasting it with the previous administration. He emphasized the importance of reviewing government spending, highlighting concerns over waste in Medicaid. Kennedy noted that while Medicaid spending is around a trillion dollars annually, many able-bodied individuals are on the program. He proposed a bill requiring those aged 18 to 55, who are not disabled and have no minor children, to work at least 20 hours a week, which could save about $100 billion over ten years. He argued that work is not only financially beneficial but also morally important, as these programs should help individuals transition back to self-sufficiency.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: With that, we bring in Louisiana Republican senator John Kennedy. Senator, always good to have you with us. What was your reaction as you watch this sort of longer than usual freewheeling, press conference with these two foreign leaders?
Speaker 1: Well, not number one. I find it refreshing after four years, where our president wouldn't wouldn't talk to anyone. Number two, I was paying especially close attention to what the president had to say about reviewing spending. I think it would be fair to say that president Trump has dug in like a tick. He's gonna continue.
He ran on this issue. He said if if you elect me president, I'm gonna review the spending. Now I don't know how you review the spending without reviewing the spending. No no no fair minded person can doubt that the president of The United States has the authority to review the spending in the Executive Branch. He's, he's delegated that authority to Elon Musk.
A lot of my Democratic colleagues and most of the members of the tofu crowd are very upset. They're screaming like Musk stole their dog or something. But one thing they're not talking about is, is what Mr. Musk is finding. I mean, just at the USAID, he found hundreds of millions, maybe billions of dollars worth of of spending porn.
Speaker 0: Senator, let me ask you something. That If I may, you wrote a piece about Medicaid saying that there is a ton of waste in Medicaid. And you heard president Trump just moments ago. He said we're not gonna touch Social Security, but he said that there are a lot of, bad people who shouldn't be on the list, something to that effect when it comes to Medicaid. What did you find and write about this week with regard to
Speaker 1: that? The American people are the most generous people in the world. If you're If you're hungry, we'll feed you. If you're homeless, we'll house you. If you're too poor to be sick, we'll pay for your doctor.
But all of it costs money. We're spending about a trillion dollars a year on Medicaid. President Biden increased it by about 40%. We estimate that there are between ten and thirty million people on Medicaid who are perfectly able to work. I've got a bill that says if you're between 18 and 55, five, you're not disabled, you don't have any minor kids at home, so we're not talking about a mother with a sick child in her arms.
You you've gotta work twenty hours a week. That'll save us, according to the CBO, about a hundred billion dollars over ten years.
Speaker 0: That yeah. Right there.
Speaker 1: It's not just about the money. It's not just about the money. There's a moral principle. If you can work, you should work. These programs were not meant to be parking lots.
They were meant to be bridges. And for some people, not everybody on Medicaid, but for some people, the best way to to get back on your feet is to get off your ass.
Speaker 0: Well, well put. And, the the piece that you were was very interesting, and the idea is that if you are able-bodied and you're accepting Medicaid, you should be working as well, gainfully employed. Yep. And, it's an idea that I think would be common sense to a lot of people. You also pointed out the psychological benefits of of going to work and having a job and that that is what pulls people out of situations where they need this kind of aid.
Interesting piece and senator, thank you very much. It's always good to have you with us. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mark.
@elonmusk - Elon Musk
Can you believe your taxpayer dollars were being spent on a Fauci exhibit?
@MarioNawfal - Mario Nawfal
🇺🇸 FAUCI MUSEUM EXHIBIT AXED AS DOGE SLASHES $182M IN HHS SPENDING The $168K tribute to Fauci just got DOGE'd, part of 62 administrative contracts canceled in 48 hours - none affecting actual healthcare programs. Meanwhile, Trump defends yanking Fauci's security detail: "You can't have them forever because you work for government" The former COVID czar keeps his Biden pardon, but loses his museum wing. Times change fast in DC. Source: Fox News
@elonmusk - Elon Musk
Can you believe they were spending your tax dollars on this 💩??
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 NOW: Definitely-not-paid “protestors” are out in DC whining about DOGE again These protests are getting smaller and smaller every day 🤣 The money’s running dry! https://t.co/VXdYlCdjD2
Video Transcript AI Summary
We're live in Washington, D.C., where Democrats are protesting the Department of Government Efficiency. More on that shortly. Please stay tuned.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Here as I turn down the audio. Sorry about that. Another live event as we are taking a look out of Washington DC as Democrats are protesting the Department of Government Efficiency. That's coming up next. Stay with us.
@CitizenFreePres - Citizen Free Press
KAROLINE LEAVITT BRINGS THE DOGE RECEIPTS. Bootlicker democrat media hates talking about government waste. https://t.co/isqiCbdYHE
Video Transcript AI Summary
I welcome Elon Musk to the briefing room, as he provided great insights in the Oval Office yesterday, speaking in layman's terms. There is no lack of transparency with Doge. Trump and Musk are transparent about Doge's work, with an active X account and website posting contract receipts and stopped payments.
Before Musk, an unnamed bureaucrat handled government efficiency. Musk, now highly scrutinized, provides great access. We're happy to provide receipts and are not hiding anything.
Here are screenshots of contracts Doge found, like a $36,000 DEI contract for US citizenship and immigration services, a $3,400,000 DEI contract, and $57,000 for climate change in Sri Lanka. Doge identifies these line items daily. We're transparent about Doge's work, including tweets about the Federal Employee Retirement System in Pennsylvania. We provide daily transparency and accessibility.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Yesterday, gave us some information on that. We're just wondering if there's some proof evidence. Is the White House willing to share Mhmm. Evidence of those fraud claims, or can Elon Musk come to the briefing room and share material evidence of what he's talking about?
Speaker 1: Sure. I would love for Elon Musk to come to the briefing room. That's why we had him go to the Oval Office yesterday, where I think he provided great answers. He was speaking in layman's terms, speaking common sense, to all of you in the media, but also to Americans at home. But I would say especially to all of you in the media because I think it's a real fallacy, that there's this alleged lack of transparency when it comes to Doge.
President Trump and Elon Musk have been incredibly transparent on what Doge is doing. There is an x account with the doge handle. They are tweeting out what they are doing on a daily basis. They have a website where they are posting the receipts of the contracts that they are reviewing and the payments that they have stopped, from going out the door. The secretaries of of our departments have stopped from going out the door.
And I would also say that before it was Elon Musk, making our government efficient and accountable, it was some unnamed bureaucrat that none of you knew. I Elon Musk is, the richest man in the world. He's also now one of the most highly scrutinized men in the world alongside president Trump because of what he's doing and the access that he is allowing. So there's great transparency. As for the actual receipts, we are happy to provide them, and I actually brought some today because all of you know I love to bring the receipts.
We have contracts upon contracts that we can send and provide this information to you. Let me be very clear. We are not trying to hide anything. We have been incredibly transparent, and we will continue to be. These are screenshots of contracts that Doge found across our government.
This is a DEI contract, $36,000 for US citizenship and immigration services. That is against the president's policies and his America First agenda. This is a $3,400,000 contract, a council for inclusive innovation, at the US Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, another DEI contract that DOGE identified. I can continue to go through these. Oh, I love this one.
50 seven thousand bucks for climate change in Sri Lanka. What is this doing to continue the interest of the American people? Absolutely nothing. These are the line items across the federal government that DOGE is identifying daily. They're moving very fast.
There's a lot of paper that we can show you, but we're happy to do it. This administration has been more than transparent about what DOGE is doing. And here's one of their tweets that they posted about the mine. I believe this is in Pennsylvania where the Federal Employee Retirement System is being processed. Did anybody know this was even happening in our country before Elon Musk talked about it in the Oval Office yesterday?
A lot of Americans didn't. So we are providing transparency and accessibility on a daily basis when it comes to Doge.
reSee.it AI Summary
I’m frustrated by the millions spent on organizations like Kanye West-Bank, and the billions allocated for migrants' cars and homes, climate funds, and even pets. It feels like @DOGE is trying to save us from this waste, while Democrats react as if they’re under attack for wanting to cut funding for questionable projects. This situation highlights a deeper issue of power abuse behind the scenes, where the real victims are American taxpayers, not those misusing funds.
@JesseBWatters - Jesse Watters
We spent millions on Kanye West-Bank’s organization, billions to buy migrants cars and homes, billions on apparent climate slush funds, and billions to freak out a bunch of pets. @DOGE is saving billions chasing this trash down and Democrats are acting like they’re being carpet-bombed. They’re acting like defunding cocaine puppies is terrorism. This whole thing isn’t just about money — it’s about people behind the scenes abusing power they don’t have, to finance sick and twisted fantasies. Democrats got caught cold in the middle of a bank heist and the bank robbers aren’t the victims here — the American taxpayers are.
Video Transcript AI Summary
Doge arrived at the IRS and is now helping review government spending, starting with NASA. We're planning to slash departments by 30-40% if they can't justify their headcount and selling unused federal buildings.
We've discovered taxpayer money is being used to fund things like Palestinian hip hop and bizarre animal experiments. The Department of Health and Human Services has also spent billions on cars and homes for migrants.
The EPA was caught rushing to spend tax dollars on questionable projects, including a climate fund with a now-deleted board of directors page. Trump's administration is offering buyouts to federal workers, and 75,000 have already accepted. We're addressing government waste and fraud that has been ongoing for years. The goal is to reform and cut wasteful spending.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: There's been a break in at the IRS. Doge just kicked in the door and ordered executives to put their hands where they can see them. There was an ultimatum. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.
Speaker 1: Doge workers arrived today. Gavin Kliger and others arrived today at the IRS. Do you expect to close the IRS? Or what are you expecting?
Speaker 2: No. I don't expect it. Not at the IRS. But I think so I think that, the Internal Revenue Service will be looked at like everybody else. Just about everybody's gonna be looked at.
So it's, they're doing a hell of a job. It's an amazing job they're doing. And, you know, that force is building these I call it the force of super geniuses, but it's building. And, you know, they go up and they talk to some of the people about certain deals, and the people get all tongue tied. They can't talk because these people get it.
They're very smart people. We need smart people.
Speaker 0: Big balls is making bureaucrats tongue tied. What's this contract for? Terminated. Next up is NASA. Elon's nerd army is reviewing their spending.
I have a feeling we're gonna find NASA isn't all about outer space. If agencies can't justify their headcount, Musk's planning on slashing every department by 30 to 40%. If Doge finds an unused federal building, they're gonna sell it and put the profits in the piggy bank. Trump has his eyes on 14,000 vacant federal buildings. So if you wanna live in an 80,000 square foot estate at the foot of the Potomac that's been collecting cobwebs for six decades, put in a bid.
The government has more money than it knows what to do with. We just found out we're funding Palestinian hip hop.
Speaker 3: I uncovered, over $3,000,000 to a rap artist in Gaza, producing anti Israel, anti Semitic songs. Is that the best use of American taxpayer dollars? I would venture not.
Speaker 0: And here's who got the money.
Speaker 4: Mama Gaza's getting bombed, but nobody's saying it. I'm kinda getting scared now, but nobody's getting it. See, they terrorize my days for saying that I'm the terrorist. How can I be the terrorist? Do you know a terrorist?
Because all my life I've been terrorized, so I
Speaker 0: We sent 3,000,000 to Kanye West Bank, his organization. We're paying Palestinians to rap about the bombs we sold BB. American taxpayers are like bookies. We're on both sides of every deal. We spent 20,000,000,000 to freak out a bunch of pets.
Speaker 5: Injecting puppies with cocaine, staging hamster fight clubs, putting dead turtles on treadmills. Cats have marbles shoved up their rectums and are electro shocked to make them defecate in constipation experiments. Examine the effects of party drugs on animals inject injected with testosterone.
Speaker 0: Who are we buying the cocaine from? I can get a gram from Gutfeld and give it to Rookie. Why does that cost so much? I can find a dead turtle in a pond, throw it on a treadmill, hit start, watch it keel over. That's free.
A hamster fight club. Did they hire Joe Rogan to announce the fight? 20,000,000,000 is what Trump asked congress for to build the border wall. We did this instead. We're also learning through the New York Post, the Department of Health and Human Services wasted $22,000,000,000 buying migrants' cars and homes and giving them seed money to start businesses.
Now Jose has a Cadillac, a bungalow, a side hustle, and a credit score of 740. Did we buy cars and homes for folks in North Carolina after Helene? And Biden's EPA couldn't get the money out the door fast enough.
Speaker 6: An extremely disturbing video circulated two months ago featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about how they were tossing gold bars off the Titanic, rushing to get billions of your tax dollars out the door before inauguration day. The gold bars were tax dollars, and tossing them off the Titanic meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it.
Speaker 0: Right before Christmas, Biden's EPA gave the Climate United Fund seven billion dollars. This Climate Fund looks like a slush fund to funnel cash to Joe's donors for pet projects. We look to see who ran the fund and went to the board of directors page. They scrubbed it. It's all gone.
They took the money and ran. That's why Trump calls it the green new scam. Doge is saving over a billion bucks a day chasing this trash down, and Democrats are acting like they're getting carpet bombed.
Speaker 7: What does that mean when an unelected billionaire can waltz into our agencies and slash and burn the whole thing to the ground like a Taliban terrorist?
Speaker 0: Only a Democrat thinks defunding cocaine puppies is terrorism. Bill Clinton fired almost 400,000 federal bureaucrats. No one called him a terrorist. We called him Slick Willie. And Trump and Elon are offering very generous buyouts.
75,000 workers have already took them up on it. The retirement cave hostages are working twenty four seven processing all this paperwork. Trump's doing exactly what Obama wished he did.
Speaker 8: One of the commitments that I made the American people was that we would do a better job, here in Washington in rooting out, wasteful spending. We don't need to wait for congress in order to, do something about, wasteful spending that's out there. Cutting waste, making government more efficient is something that leaders in both parties have worked on. We haven't seen as much action out of Congress as we'd like, and that's why we launched, on our own initiative, the campaign to cut waste.
Speaker 0: So Obama said he didn't need to wait for Congress to cut waste, fraud, and abuse? That's funny. The New York Times has always covered government waste under Obama, Clinton, Bush, everybody. Yesterday, The Times reported the federal government loses between 233 to 521,000,000,000 a year to fraud. And in the same week, The Times writes this headline, Musk asserts without proof that bureaucracy is rife with fraud.
Without proof, The Times just reported the proof, and it's based on the government's own accounting. This is why no one trusts the media. Finally, Trump hired a rocket scientist with an IT department to root out the fraud, and the Democrats are against it. Who the hell voted for mister Musk? Who the hell voted for, excuse the phrase, a guy who calls himself big balls?
No one voted for Musk. So what? No one voted for Fauci either. You voted for the president, and he appoints people. And why are we even having this conversation?
Trump ran on reform and won on it with Musk at his side, and Musk is doing everything under a national spotlight. He's not hiding in the shadows like Soros financing open borders and crime waves. These people are never gonna learn. After getting humiliated by the Russia hoax, Maddow's back to spreading conspiracies.
Speaker 9: Elon Musk has apparently somehow convinced the United States government, specifically the United States Department of State, that the taxpayers of The United States Of America should spend $400,000,000 buying, quote, armored Tesla production units. Isn't it great and definitely not at all illegal or profoundly corrupt? Definitely not ripping us all off to pay themselves. Right?
Speaker 0: Donald Trump didn't give that contract to Elon Musk. Joe Biden gave it to him. Even liberals are calling that out out. The 400,000,000 armored Tesla story is a fake scandal in a sea of real graft and horror. And there's a difference between Musk winning competitive bids to provide armored trucks to diplomats and dangerous countries, and contracts go into Greek DEI consultants, Caribbean sex change surgeries, and, oh, hamster cage fights.
Rachel should stick to working Mondays. This five days a week thing's not working out for her. Teslas are made in America. The state department asked for them, unlike TransMusicals or Sesame Street in Iraq. No one asked for that.
Most of the country wants that stuff cut, and Democrats should too.
Speaker 10: People want the government to work better. They believe that mister Musk, one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs in human history, who does not fail at just about anything, they want him to do this, most Americans. They wanted Trump. They elected him. Democrats are only focused on one thing right now, mister Musk.
The fact of the matter, he's quite popular. He has the largest platform in human history, which is, of course, Twitter / x. And I think we're missing the boat as Democrats, and Democrats are being steamrolled.
Speaker 0: This isn't just about money. It's about people behind the scenes abusing power they don't have to finance sick and twisted fantasies like migrant shopping sprees and sex changes and reverse racism and injecting narcotics into animals. Doge is a blessing from the heavens above. The Wall Street Journal puts it this way, quote, Elon Musk's glorious rampage through official Washington is like something from a dream. Even Ronald Reagan, the great apostle of smaller government, couldn't achieve in eight years what mister Musk has done in three and a half weeks.
The billionaire businessman is less apostle than avenging angel. The Department of Government Efficiency is the change we've been waiting for. The Democrats got caught cold in the middle of a bank heist. Those walked into the vault. Democrats were stuffing wads of cash in their bags, and they're mad that Musk is telling them to put the bags down.
The bank robbers aren't the victims here. The American taxpayers are.
reSee.it AI Summary
The Kennedy Center in DC has been evacuated due to a bomb threat. Leftists are upset since Trump banned drag shows for kids and made himself Chair. Their protests have included strange interpretive dancing, which I find quite deranged.
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 #BREAKING: The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC has just been evacuated due to a B0MB THREAT Leftists have been throwing a FIT at the Kennedy Center since Trump banned drag shows targeted at children and made himself Chair These people are DERANGED. This comes just after several days of leftists outside “protesting” by doing weird interpretive dancing… or whatever you call this 👇🏻 🎥 @NJBeisner
@ThePatriotOasis - The Patriot Oasis™
BREAKING 🚨 New leaks indicate that Hakeem Jeffries was caught paying protesters to rally against DOGE, Elon Musk and President Trump. https://t.co/B7K0ZYN2R8
@simonateba - Simon Ateba
BREAKING: Washington, D.C. protesters call for the 'eviction of DOGE, Elon Musk and his teenagers out of the Office of Personnel Management,' declares DOGE as illegal. https://t.co/N39eFgI4J5
Video Transcript AI Summary
Good afternoon. We're here today to evict Doge and Elon Musk from the Office of Personnel Management and declare that Doge is done. We're fighting to protect the merit-based civil service and the rights, resources, and protections it provides. DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, is under attack, but it truly stands for civil rights.
This is an illegal operation, dismantling services important to every American family. Elon Musk spent millions to elect Donald Trump, and now Trump is giving Musk control of federal agencies. We need to expose this corrupt bargain and fight back against this betrayal.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Testing.
Speaker 1: Who are we? Who are we? Who are we? Are we?
Speaker 0: Sisters and brothers, good morning. Good afternoon, rather. It's 12:00. It's it's a lovely day out here. No excuse not to be outside to march, to rally for our rights.
We've come here today. We've gathered here today to evict Doge
Speaker 2: That's right. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Elon Musk
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: And his teenagers out of the office of personnel management.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 0: We've come to declare Doge is done.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Doge is done.
Speaker 0: And we're not leaving. We're not ending this fight until they're completely done.
Speaker 3: Yeah. This
Speaker 0: is where the rights, the resources, and the protections of the merit based civil service take place.
Speaker 2: Right. Right.
Speaker 0: It says that on the books. Yeah. It says merit based.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So
Speaker 0: there's this myth coming from 1600 that there's somehow some discrimination because of so called DEI.
Speaker 3: Yeah. But
Speaker 0: the government and these employees and these jobs are merit based.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: They're not based on race.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 0: If anything Yeah. For decades, there has been discrimination the other way around.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Ensuring or not ensuring that people of color and women and veterans and the disabled had a fair shot at one of these good merit based jobs.
Speaker 5: Yes. That's right.
Speaker 1: And this
Speaker 0: is the importance of labor. This is the marriage between labor and civil rights because when we organize, we win. Yeah. When we marry labor and civil rights, we can stand up for all those who have been historically discriminated against in this government.
Speaker 6: Yeah. That's right. That's right.
Speaker 0: DEI is the new term. Yeah. But DEI really is an acronym that says civil rights. So if you attack DEI, you're attacking civil rights and breaking the law
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: So that is why we are here, the American Federation of Government Employees. Who are
Speaker 1: we? ALGE. Who are we?
Speaker 0: We're gonna begin our program. We have some very distinguished speakers here today, including elected officials. I'm glad they're here because they understand the importance of this. These ain't cabinet positions. These ain't folks that shuffle every four years.
Speaker 3: That's
Speaker 0: right. These are regular folk who work every day whose retirements are threatened Yes. By Musk and Doge. Yeah. This ain't x.
This ain't Tesla. This ain't SpaceX. This ain't none of his companies.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 0: This belongs to the people Yeah. And our taxpayer dollars. Yeah. Right. So we are here to protect them.
Let's hear first and foremost from the national vice president district fourteen, Otis Johnson.
Speaker 2: Alright. Alright. Good
Speaker 5: afternoon, brothers and sisters and junior family. We are here today because we refuse to stand by while the heart of our federal workforce, OPM, is under attack.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 5: The plan to dismantle dismantle OPM isn't just reckless. It's an all out assault on the merit based civil service and attempt to strip away protections that ensure fairness, diversity, and integrity in federal hiring. Yeah. Let's be clear. This isn't about efficiency.
No. This is about control. Yeah. Doge and the forces behind this takeover want to politicize the very agency that protects federal workers. Yeah.
Speaker 6: That's right.
Speaker 5: They want hiring based on favoritism, not fairness. They want to erase policies that ensure diversity and inclusion, and they want to weaken the very system that makes our government work for the American people every day.
Speaker 3: Yeah. But let me
Speaker 5: tell you something. AFG isn't going anywhere. No.
Speaker 3: Let me
Speaker 5: try that again. AFGE isn't going anywhere. Yeah. We fought too hard for far too long to let this stand. We are here.
We are strong, and we are ready for this fight. Yeah. The battle has just begun, and we are confident that we will prevail.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Because
Speaker 5: when working people stand together, we will when we raise our voices as one, we win.
Speaker 2: Yeah. We
Speaker 5: are fighting not just for today, but for the future of our of every federal worker and every American who depends on a government that works for them. Yeah. So stay strong.
Speaker 3: Stand strong.
Speaker 5: Stay united.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 5: And let them hear us loud and clear. Yeah. We will not let OPM fall.
Speaker 3: No. We
Speaker 5: will not be silenced.
Speaker 3: No. And
Speaker 5: we will win this
Speaker 0: here now representing the great state of Maryland, which I'm certain many of the folk who work in this building and perhaps some of you live in the DMV. Don't you?
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Please welcome senator Chris Van Hollen, if you're
Speaker 3: Good to see you. Alright. Appreciate you, sir.
Speaker 7: Are we gonna stop the war on America's workforce?
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 7: You bet we are, and I wanna thank AFGE for being here and being the voices for so many federal employees.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 7: We're here today to stand with the patriotic federal employees here at OPM and other places around the government. And we're also here to say we will not stand for Elon Musk's illegal operation. Are we gonna stand for that? Hell no. No.
We have to shut down this illegal operation. Yes. And they decided to make OPM their sort of headquarters for this illegal operation. Are we gonna evict Elon Musk and Doge from OPM? Yeah.
You bet we are. Yeah. We're gonna do it in the courts, and I wanna thank a AFG and all the others who are bringing those cases. We're working with them. Yep.
We're gonna do it in congress through every means we have, and I wanna thank the Maryland congressional delegation here. They've been the tip of the spear. You're gonna hear from them.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And
Speaker 7: we're gonna do this in communities all over the country.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
Speaker 7: Because the word is getting out.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 7: And that's what we're all about here is to make sure people know the truth about what's happening. You've probably seen some of these town halls
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 7: Right? In other states and congressional districts where you've got a lot of folks, the members of congress, in this case, Republicans, they can't stand the heat. They can't tell the truth, and they can't answer the questions. Yeah. So they're running away.
Yeah. But they're running away from their constituents.
Speaker 3: Yes,
Speaker 7: sir. Because while we have a lot of great federal employees in this region, 80% of federal employees work outside
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 7: Of this area. Right.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 7: And what they're doing is hurting the services the critical services those employees provide to every American. Isn't that what they're doing?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 7: So here's what we have to do to blow the whistle. You all know this, but we need to get the word out.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 7: This is the most corrupt bargain in American history.
Speaker 3: Yes. It is.
Speaker 7: So Elon Musk spent $280,000,000 to elect Donald Trump.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 7: And Donald Trump has given Elon Musk the keys to federal agencies.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 7: And they are dismantling services that are important to every American family.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 7: Are we gonna let that happen? No. Hell no.
Speaker 2: Hell no. God.
Speaker 7: And as Otis said, this has nothing to do.
Speaker 3: That's
Speaker 7: right. Nothing to do with efficiency.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 7: Right? You all know this.
Speaker 8: That's
Speaker 7: right. If you cared about efficiency, you wouldn't start by firing the inspector generals.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 7: Right? These are the independent watchdogs who look out for waste, fraud, and abuse. Yeah. In fact, that's what you would do if you were going to open the door to more waste, fraud, and abuse. Right?
Yeah. I you know, we all know that Elon Musk just got another billion billion dollar contract Yeah. Within the next couple weeks. The other reason we know this has nothing to do with government efficiency is they're talking about step two, replacing merit based federal employees with political hacks. That's not about efficiency.
That's about political cronyism. Are we gonna let that happen? Hell no. No. So let me just end with this because the word is getting out that what we are witnessing is the great betrayal.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 7: Yeah. The great betrayal because what Donald Trump promised on day one
Speaker 9: Yeah.
Speaker 7: He was gonna reduce prices for groceries, for rent, for housing. That's what he said he'd do on day one, cut prices. What's he doing instead? He's bringing Elon Musk in to do the dirty work, to rig the federal government so it works for people like Elon Musk Yeah. And not everyday Americans.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 7: And in the process, they're trying to make room for tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk at the expense of everybody else.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 7: And so we need to make clear to the American people what's happening here. Are we gonna do that or will we make sure our voices are heard? Yeah. We are. And are we gonna shut down this operation and bet Elon Musk?
Yeah. We are. Thank you all very much for what you do.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 0: Let's hear it for senator Chris Van Hollen. Alright. We're gonna hear from some other members of congress. Are y'all are y'all gonna go or you gonna skip this thing tonight? If you decide I'm a put you on the spot.
I'm not I'm going. You're not going you're going?
Speaker 2: I'm going.
Speaker 0: Alright. In the meantime, we're we're we're here
Speaker 1: to evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon.
Alright.
Speaker 3: We're gonna
Speaker 0: stay in Maryland representing, Baltimore County, Congressman Johnny Oseski.
Speaker 2: Alright. Alright. Alright. Alright.
Speaker 10: What's up, AFG?
Speaker 2: Hello. Alright.
Speaker 10: When we fight. We win. When we fight. We win. When we fight.
We win. Because we all deserve better. Yeah. Right. Because we all deserve better.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 10: Our employees deserve better.
Speaker 5: Yes.
Speaker 10: Americans deserve better.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 10: Yeah. And I'm going tonight because I'm helping to tell the story of one of your own.
Speaker 3: That's right. Alright. Okay.
Speaker 10: I've got a woman named Katie who's joining me tonight. She was hired under the first Trump administration. She was
Speaker 11: hired she was hired
Speaker 10: at US Fish and Wildlife to help Maryland farmers. She did such an exceptional job that she was promoted. And so when Elon Musk and Doge, under president Trump's directive, took up residence here at OPM, they said, well, you're probationary. Time for you to go. She did nothing wrong.
In fact, she did everything right.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 10: Everything right.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 10: And now who's penalized? Someone who's given her life in service to this country, to Maryland farmers, to Americans, someone who thought that if she did everything right that this country would take care of her. Alright. And instead, we're turning our backs on her. Yes.
So I'm standing with Katie tonight just like I'm standing with our workers today. We're here at Ground 0. This is where Elon set up shop.
Speaker 4: That's right.
Speaker 10: And I say I say it's time we send Doge and Elon Musk packing.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 10: Yeah. Because when we fight We will. When we fight We will. When we fight We will. Because we all deserve better.
God bless.
Speaker 2: Thank you. God bless you. Yeah. You, sir. Alright.
Speaker 0: Congressman John Yoshesi, give him another round of applause if you would.
Speaker 1: Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon. Evict illegal Elon.
Speaker 0: Our jobs are on the line. The morale of our workers are on the line, and these are workers and families again, many of whom live in this area. We wanna hear from someone else who represents the DMV in Prince George's County, Congressman Glenn Ivey. Right. Alright.
Speaker 6: When we fight We win. When we fight We win. When we fight We win.
Speaker 12: And we're winning. We are winning. The tide's turning. Hey. You just heard a few minutes ago.
They're afraid to do town hall meetings now. Yeah. Yeah. They're afraid. Now we just did one in Prince George's County on Saturday.
AFG was in the house. Right? Right. Y'all showed up, showed out. We had, like, almost a thousand people came out.
Almost a thousand people came out, and we're gonna keep going to the people because we know the people are coming with us. Right? Yeah. And we're winning in the courts too. Right?
Yeah. Yeah. Because your lawyers are doing a fantastic job. Yeah. Matter of fact, we just got a court opinion against these guys on Friday that put an injunction in place.
Right? Yeah. Yeah. Because what they're doing is illegal and unlawful. Right?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 12: Alright. So the movement continues. We've gotta keep fighting. As you heard a few minutes ago, labor, civil rights, we've done this before. Yeah.
We know how to do this. Right? Yeah. We've done it without the White House before. Right?
Yeah.
Speaker 4: We've done it without
Speaker 12: the senate before. Right? Yeah. We've done it without the house before. Right?
Yeah. And we took them all back, didn't we? That's right. And that's when Barack Obama got elected. Right?
Yeah. Yeah. We can do it again. And it starts tonight. There are gonna be a lot of lies from the White House tonight.
Yeah. A lot of lies down from the podium tonight. Yeah. But we know the truth. Right?
Yeah. That's right. We know that what they're doing is illegal. Right? Yeah.
We know that what they're doing is wrong.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 12: And we know that we're gonna turn it around and win. Right? Yeah. Because when we fight
Speaker 6: We win. When we fight We win. We fight We We win.
Speaker 12: Today, we start winning.
Speaker 4: Have a
Speaker 6: great one.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Alright. Thank you, sir.
Always.
Speaker 1: Who are we?
Speaker 13: Who are we?
Speaker 0: American Federation of Government Employees, we have descended here upon the office of personnel management to evict Elon Musk. We're gonna bring another veteran of the civil rights movement with us, former president of NAACP, raised in Baltimore, mentored by the hundredth senator Clarence Mitchell junior. Please welcome now congressman who said he ain't going That's right. To hear the the state of fascism speech tonight. It's not no state of the union.
It's a state of fascism.
Speaker 3: Hell, yeah.
Speaker 0: Please welcome congressman Kwaizi Mfume.
Speaker 3: You. Yes, sir. Thank you, Thank you, Mark.
Speaker 13: Yeah. Let's do one thing if we don't do anything else. Remind America that federal employees are the heart blood of this nation.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 13: They are men and women all over the country in every state of the union Yeah. Who work hard, who play by the rules, who love their country, who cherish their faith, and who do a nonpartisan job day in and day out to make this country work.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 13: Let's never let people forget that. No. And never let people forget the union that represents them. Yeah. AFGE.
Yeah. AFGE. AFGE. I wanna thank you president f Kelly for joining me just a few days ago for a tele town hall where we had just under 10,000 people participate. People are upset because they recognize this is an illegal action.
And so you've heard, yes, it will be a legal fight. Yes. Yes. It will be a constitutional fight. Yes.
It will be a fight for the heart, the minds, and the souls of men and women across this country
Speaker 11: Yes.
Speaker 13: Who today are trying to figure out how do I pay the mortgage, how do I buy food, how do I go forward without a job. This notion of getting rid of people without due process is about as anti American as you can ever get.
Speaker 3: That's right. You if
Speaker 13: even if you work for a snake, a snake would tell you, we're getting ready to take your job. Yeah. We want you to start getting ready to move out. Yeah. We're gonna give you three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, whatever.
Yeah. But now, Elon Musk, who really let me just calm myself. I don't wanna say that. Go ahead, sir. So, no, I will not be there tonight.
That's right. Elon Musk and Donald Trump are destroying the state of the union.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 13: I don't know why I should be there to sit and listen to him, try to convince me of otherwise. The people in this building and in federal buildings all across this country, they need support. They need help.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 13: And we can't let them down. No. I know the odds look like they're overwhelming, but that's how most fights look. Yeah. We will win this.
We will resist this, and we will find a way to unify all over this country no matter what state you're in, no matter what department in. When we fight, we win. Alright.
Speaker 0: Okay, ma'am. Against
Speaker 3: you, sir.
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm
Speaker 3: gonna talk to you today. Thank you, ma'am.
Speaker 0: Kwaizi Mfume, congressman Kwaizi Mfume, give him another round of applause. Still in the fight, And now, the man of the hour who is our leader. Who are
Speaker 1: we? AFTG. Who are we?
Speaker 0: AFTG. As we come here today to protect our federal employees who are besieged by Doge and Elon Musk and his teenagers taking over the office of personnel management. And ain't that an insult to 18 year olds just coming. Don't even know just y'all just numbers. Yeah.
Not people. Yeah. Not human beings. Just some numbers on a piece of paper. Yeah.
That they can try to do something. That that's not that's just not right. Well, these are families. They are faces.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Human beings, families, children.
Speaker 3: Yeah. That's right.
Speaker 0: Some of us are taking care of our parents.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Right.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: Amen? Amen. And then what are we supposed to do when we can't get our retirement? That's just gonna be forfeiting the thin air so we can go up and out of space somewhere. Yeah.
Please welcome. We're hear from Claude Cummings in a minute. Claude gave me a CWA jacket. I don't
Speaker 6: You look good. I
Speaker 0: don't know. I I'm at the AFGE event. I don't have no AFGE. I don't know.
Speaker 3: It's on the way.
Speaker 0: It's okay. Because I'm just wondering. Claude had to give me a CWA jacket because I don't have no AFGE jacket. Ladies and gentlemen, our brother, he's gonna be joining me and Claude in Selma. This this is the sixtieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
There was no democracy in America before 1965 because most of us couldn't vote, including women.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: There were no protections for the disabled to get into the voting booth. Yeah. They didn't have rap shit. And now this person comes along and wants to take it all away. So it's important not only for doctor Kelly to be here, but to join us in Selma so we can reclaim our democracy from this fascism.
Please welcome the reverend doctor Everett Kelly, AFGE national president. The I think it went out. Check the mic. It just went out. Mic
Speaker 3: check. Can we
Speaker 14: Fix the sound.
Speaker 11: We're getting it. Sound.
Speaker 3: Say something.
Speaker 0: See if
Speaker 3: it came back. Check
Speaker 2: one two.
Speaker 3: Check one not bad. Mic check? Okay. It's better. There we go.
Well, first of all, I'd like to say thank you to national vice president Otis Johnson and to all the elected officials for being here, the labor leaders. And I want you all to just pause parenthetically and give a round of applause for the workers at OPM. Yeah. It's great to be here with all of you today. My name is Eric Kelly.
I am the proud president of the American Federation of Government Employees representing over 800,000 federal and DC government workers. Right. Now I just left a press conference this morning where the MERIT Act was introduced by representative, TLIB and, Mac McClivre. Now it's designed to reinstate every wrongfully fired federal employee, and LGE will stand behind this bill. That's right.
Now we're here today because there is a job to do, and that job is send Elon Musk and Doge packet. Now, Elon and company like to say that Doge stand for Department of Government Efficiency, but we know that could be further from the truth. Now, truth be told, I don't think Elon Musk and Doge have done one single efficient thing since Trump has been in control of this White House. Or should I say since Elon has been in control of the White House? Because we all know that Elon sits in the big chair.
Uh-oh. And Trump sits in the little chair.
Speaker 2: Come on.
Speaker 6: Come on.
Speaker 3: Now, those may stand for many things, but efficiency, it does not. And for these reason, he and his fanboys have got to go.
Speaker 5: That's right.
Speaker 3: What do you say about that?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Now, those those stand for disrespect our government employees. Right. Now in my forty four years with AMGE, I have never seen the blatant, disdain, and disrespect for federal employee that we're seeing here today. Now we used to we used to hearing this type of rhetoric from anti worker members of congress and Donald Trump, but mister Twitter finger Uh-huh. Has truly taken things to the next level.
Now one would think that the head of efficiency department would spend some time well more efficiently. Right? Yeah. Nevertheless, he sit behind his phone all day spewing hate, lies, making demands on federal employees, hiding behind OPM's email to taunt and traumatize the members. Now is that efficient?
No. That's not efficient. He spent his time making insulting means and demeaning and discredit the work that all of you do on behalf of the American people. Having followers to troll and antagonize hardworking employees who simply want to do their job.
Speaker 0: Right. Right.
Speaker 3: Do we call that efficient? No. No. FGE, no. It is not efficient.
If one of you spent your time doing what mister Musk does, you would be disciplined. Right?
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 3: Now, you you were you if you were going to probationary employee, you would probably be terminated.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 3: And that's exactly what we're here to do, to evict and fire probationary employee, Elon Musk Yeah. And his Twitter followers. Yeah. They need to get out of OPM and out of our government. Yeah.
Yeah. DOGE stand for disrupt over government e fish effectiveness. Yeah. Mister Musk came into the picture to destroy, divide, and disrupt our government, to dismantle the service. You all performed for the American people, and for that I am proud.
He is a puppet master. Come on. And let me tell y'all one thing. God says Come on. I need a prophet that will speak truth to power, not a puppet on a string.
Uh-oh. We came here today to speak truth to power. Now, now, now, my memory jogged me correct. Did we elect Elon Musk? No.
No. Are we gonna keep playing the twisted little game that he's playing? No. No. Now, I've stated several times.
If you wanna find a way to do a job more efficiently, then talk to the people that's doing it.
Speaker 11: That's
Speaker 3: right. Right? But what I've realized, AFGE, is that Elon doesn't care about efficiency. No. He doesn't care about federal workers, and he doesn't care about the American people.
Now before we evict evict mister Musk and Doge from 1PM, our entire government, let me give you approximately five bullet points of how LGE and federal workers are gonna win this war.
Speaker 0: Come on now.
Speaker 3: Number one. Uh-huh. We're gonna fight back. That's right. Let me hear you say it.
We're gonna fight back. We're gonna fight back. We're gonna fight against all of these attacks on our jobs, our dignity, and our unions. That's right. Number two.
We're gonna protest. Protest. We're gonna rally. Rally. And we're speak truth to power.
Yeah. Against the vision and disruption. That's right. We're gonna, number three, call on congress. Alright.
Tell them to do their blame job. Uh-oh. Yes. Uh-oh. Did y'all hear what I said?
Yeah. I'm a country boy and I like to say it like it is, blame job. Okay. They need to do their job. Elon Musk don't give a care about no one in this country.
Number four, we want them to do their job. Are y'all with me? Yeah. Say do your job. Do your job.
Now, number five, we're gonna stand united and we're gonna stand together as one federal government, as one union. We're gonna stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow civil servant because when you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.
Speaker 0: That's right. That's right.
Speaker 3: We're not gonna allow them to divide us. No. Never. We will never be defeated. Now we're gonna let this big and a bully and his followers disrespect and demean us.
No. Are we gonna stand together? Are we gonna stay in this fight? Yes. Now it's gonna be tough.
But one thing I know, weeping may endure for the night. Uh-huh. For joy. Uh-huh. Joy come in the morning.
Come on. Yes. The morning is gonna come. Let me tell you one thing else as I close. Uh-huh.
There is an old scripture Uh-huh. That said when the enemy comes in as a flood Uh-huh. I have raised up a standard against it. That standard is a reminder that God had done it before and he will do it again. Will he do it again?
Yes. Will we do it? Yes. We will do it. Stand strong.
Last two words.
Speaker 6: And
Speaker 3: I need you all to do it. Take your time. Last two words. Evict. Elon.
Elon. Elon. Evict. Elon. Elon.
Evict. Elon. Elon. And his puppet masters.
Speaker 1: Evict. Elon. Elon. Evict. Elon.
Elon. Elon. Evict. Elon. Elon.
Speaker 0: Alright. Let's hear it for the national president. Alright. Yeah. Doctor Edward Kelly.
We will hear now from the Metro Metropolitan DC AFL CIO President Samuel Epps, my brother. Yeah.
Speaker 15: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Afternoon. Good afternoon.
Speaker 3: That's what
Speaker 15: we need. One day longer, one day stronger. Right?
Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
Speaker 15: So we're gonna be a lot stronger than they are, and we're do it one day longer. I'm just here on behalf of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL CIO, Sam Epps, representing a 50 affiliate unions across DC, Prince George's County, Maryland, Montgomery, and Southern Maryland, where where many of you here at AFGE live, work, and have church and worship there. And what we're saying at the Metro Council, we stand in solidarity with you. We will fight across all of our affiliates from teachers to housekeepers to electricians, we are here with you now because we know what it is doing to to you. You're directly impacted, but it impacts all of our communities here.
DC just released revenue estimates that they will have to cut $1,000,000,000 by 2028 because of federal workers that are not here working and doing their jobs here in DC. Yeah. Right? And so what we know that is, that'll be Head Start. That'll be teachers pay.
Speaker 11: Yeah.
Speaker 15: That'll be first responders pay. Right? Hotel workers won't have people staying in the hotels because they come visit you all to get things done with federal government here. Yeah. And so we are standing with you.
And our community service agency, the Metropolitan Washington Council has stood up a solidarity fund for impacted Thank you. Impacted federal workers.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 15: And you can go to our website at dclabor.org, and you can access that. We have some criteria, but we are trying to be helpful there with everyone who's impacted by this this this craziness. And what we're gonna do is we're going to evict Elon. Evict Elon. Evict Elon.
Thank you. We're in solid air. Samuel
Speaker 0: Epps, Mitch Paul and Washington, AFL CIO. Yeah. He he's talking about home rule and statehood. Right. Amen?
And what did Trump say? He wants to do away with home rule altogether.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: So that affects us all too, doesn't it?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: He's right. We lose
Speaker 2: more
Speaker 0: per capita
Speaker 11: Yeah. Yep.
Speaker 0: Because of folk who aren't here.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Yeah. But yet we serve and benefit them.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: You know, this is historic.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: When doctor Kelly speaks, brother F speaks, and some of the other speakers. Our grandparents, some of them migrated from the South
Speaker 2: Yeah. To
Speaker 0: go get jobs in Detroit, in Chicago, in Milwaukee, in industry. Yeah. But then some of them came here
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: To be civil servants and serve that that way.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: And work their way up through the ranks Yes. So that we could finally have in some of these unions, some of these labor unions
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: People who represent our great grandparents.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: We've never had so many women and people of color Yeah. In these positions.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: Like in Everett Kelly
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: And like our brother here, this was a big fight, a long fight, we're glad he's here.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: This means a lot.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: To have the president of the Communications Workers of America. It means a lot. Yeah. To be Claude Cummings, to have him in that position. Give him a round of applause.
Yeah. Thank you.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. We fight. Win.
When we fight We win. When we fight We win. And we're gonna win. Let's give president Kelly a round of applause for his leadership. Yeah.
And certainly, Mark, we appreciate you. Yeah. So I am here today to let you know the CWA members and retirees have your back.
Speaker 2: Alright. Simple as that.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 4: We depend on experienced, qualified fellow workers every single day.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: We need an independent OPM to make sure that our fellow workforce remains merit based. Yeah. Donald Trump and JD Vance want to look at voting records instead of resumes
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 4: To decide who is qualified to make sure our water is safe to drink. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 4: To see that our parents' social security gets deposited on time Yeah. To provide our veterans with health care they need Yes. Does that make sense at all? No. Hell no.
It does not make any sense. We cannot allow this administration to hand control of our civil service system over to the political appointees at the White House. Yeah. Simple as that. The chaos and confusion that Donald Trump thrives on doesn't help working people one damn bit.
That's Not one bit. Yeah. Throwing qualified public servants to the curb doesn't do anything to lower prices or create good jobs or help our kids get a good education. Yeah.
Speaker 11: Right.
Speaker 4: Do you know who it does help? It helps the people who want to turn every part of our lives into an opportunity for private gain. Yeah. That's what it help. It helps the people who want to rip us off Yeah.
And put our taxes in their own pockets. Yeah. It helps the people who who are billionaires, who run huge corporations and look at public services as a money making opportunity. Donald Trump and the billionaires who put him in office think they have answers to no one but themselves. Yeah.
But that's not true.
Speaker 2: That's
Speaker 4: right. Our country belongs to the people who go to work every day Yeah. And who take pride in their jobs. Yeah. It belongs to the people Yeah.
Who want the freedom to be themselves Yeah. Who want hope for a brighter future for themselves Yeah. And their families. Yeah. Our country belongs to us.
Say that. Our country belongs to us.
Speaker 3: Our country belongs to us.
Speaker 4: And we're gonna use every tool we have to prevent the billionaires and the bullets from taking control. So I got some questions for you.
Speaker 3: I'm going
Speaker 2: to answer them.
Speaker 3: Are we
Speaker 4: going to let them destroy the civil service?
Speaker 3: No. Are we
Speaker 4: going to let them divide us? No. Are we going to fight? Yes. And we're gonna win because when we fight We win.
When we fight We win. When we fight We win. Let's win. Thank you. Bless you, brother.
Speaker 0: Claude Claude Cummings, CWA president, now president Cummings and president Kelly. Can I can I announce the surprise? Yeah. So President Kelly and President Cummings told me that every member of Congress that does not go to speech tonight, they're gonna take him out to dinner. So so so so so you got you got a dinner date tonight because he congressman Byer told me he ain't going, so he's gonna be here you go.
Here's where he wants somebody going dinner. Congressman Don Byer from Virginia, give him a round of applause.
Speaker 11: Here, I thought I was eating at McDonald's tonight. I am not going to the speech tonight
Speaker 13: Alright. Yeah.
Speaker 11: Because, you know, I do respect the tradition of the State of the Union address. It's a good time to come together. But this president has shown nothing but contempt for the US congress, nothing but contempt for The US people. Yeah. You wanna know what makes America great?
It's that building right behind us, the people that work here. Yeah. When you think about the governments around the world that don't work, you think the countries that don't work, it's because their governments don't work.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 11: And, you know, I I can't compete with these guys. They're they're they're so wonderful. Time. I can always speak from my heart. Yeah.
My grandparents came here to work for the federal government.
Speaker 0: Yes, sir.
Speaker 11: My grandmother with the Department of Labor for fifty years. My grandfather, Department of War. Other grandfather, Department of Interior. Wow. My dad was career army.
My wife worked for State Department. Just lost her job. Wow. And we we understand that it is the quality of our federal workforce that makes our country strong in
Speaker 2: every Yes, sir.
Speaker 11: And instead, what we have is Elon who got us exactly backwards. And somehow, they think that by just firing people, by taking over OPM's job.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 11: And just throwing everybody out. Yeah. They've missed it. It's the ready fire aim. I mean, it always makes sense to waste, fraud, and abuse.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 11: But the people who know about the waste, fraud, and abuse are the people right here.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 11: People that do the job day in and day Yeah. And we're fighting as hard as we know how on Capitol Hill. We have more than a hundred lawsuits. We've won about 25 of them already.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 11: We have to hope they hold with the Supreme Court. Yeah. We are gonna do everything we possibly can to lift you up. It's the whole notion of the people that are most valuable are the people that have given up their careers, given their their lives. Almost every one of you can make more money selling cars.
I promise you that. We're we're working on it. But instead, you're taking a lower pay in order to serve the American people.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 11: And and we are deeply, deeply grateful. Yeah. And please be hopeful. We are not gonna lose this.
Speaker 3: We're not. We're not. We're not.
Speaker 11: We're here today, but this is a marathon.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 11: You know, we're we're making progress each and every day.
Speaker 0: That's right.
Speaker 11: What we can't do is be so afraid, so depressed, so so lost because we have to be hopeful, we have to be courageous, we have to fight back in every way that we do. Yep. And when we do that, we're gonna send Elon back to South Africa, which he came from illegally, by the way.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Speaker 11: And we're gonna make sure that we have the federal government workforce that really makes America ever stronger, ever stronger.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 11: And, and by the way, when we take back the house, we're gonna pass the PRO Act.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir. Alright. And we're gonna
Speaker 11: put this in law so that we respect our workers, all
Speaker 14: of our
Speaker 11: workers, especially our federal workers
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 11: To make sure that we come together.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 11: By the way, I I've been a businessman for a long time. A long time ago, I figured out the only thing I have to sell is the work that the people I work with do. Yeah. That if if I have people who are motivated and well treated and well respected Yes. Like each other, feel like like they are lifted up, they do a really good job.
Speaker 16: Yes,
Speaker 11: sir. And when you tell them that they're dirt, that they're not important, that they, then they don't do such a good job.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 11: That's right. I just wanna say that if I were Elon Musk, and thank goodness I'm not, I would do it the exact opposite way. I'd be coming to Everett
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 11: And others and say, how do we make this workforce happy, productive, respected, well paid, and lifting up every service that we provide to the American people? You are the the people who serve America. You are America. Yeah. And I'm so grateful to be a small part of this.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Congressman Don Byer, who's not going to the state of fascism address tonight, and and I'm glad he brought up South Africa. They wanna relitigate apartheid.
Speaker 2: Right. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Elon Musk is representing a government in a country that's long gone apartheid South Africa. Yeah. Donald Trump is representing another country, not this one that still exists.
Speaker 3: Right. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: I I'm saying that. That's that's not I put that on him. You blame me for saying that.
Speaker 2: That's That's alright. It's okay.
Speaker 0: If y'all get a minute, watch the mini not the it's the television series out a few years ago Yeah. Called The Americans.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Y'all know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
Speaker 0: Y'all need to watch that.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Because because you government can't function if you fire everybody.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 0: So why would you not want it to function?
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: Yeah. You wanted to bring it down.
Speaker 3: That's it.
Speaker 11: That's
Speaker 0: right. For the benefit of someone else. Amen?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: So we gotta be we gotta be very, clear about that in in in what we're looking at. And just one other thing since he brought it up. He's reminiscing about apartheid South South Africa while he decimates Africa today. Yeah. These electronic devices that we use run on batteries.
His car is Tesla.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Laptops run on batteries made from minerals in The Congo.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Right.
Speaker 0: Yeah. Mined by slave labor and child labor.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Yeah. So we gotta keep that in mind too. Now wait a minute now. Wait a minute. Know your history.
Labor.
Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
Speaker 0: Made the difference in ending apartheid. Yeah. His old country.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Labor got Nelson Mandela out of prison.
Speaker 4: Yeah. That's right.
Speaker 0: So we might need labor again to save the Congo.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 0: And get Elon Musk out of here. Amen?
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Randy Irwin of the National Federation is with us. Give him a round of applause.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Randy. Alright. Thank you.
You. You. Brother. Alright.
Speaker 8: Thank you
Speaker 2: for having me. Yeah.
Speaker 8: Proud to stand here with AMG District fourteen. Appreciate you. I'm Randy Irwin, national president and nephew. Represent a 10,000 federal workers nationwide. First, I wanna thank all the federal employees for the incredible work that you do for this country every day.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Alright. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 8: People forget the important work.
Speaker 0: Yeah.
Speaker 8: Keeping our military ready. Yeah. Caring for our veterans. Yeah. Caring for our national parks
Speaker 2: and
Speaker 8: forests and public lands. Yeah. Main maintaining our homeland security Yeah. Clean air, clean water Yeah. Safe food, safe air travel Yeah.
Secure borders
Speaker 11: Yeah.
Speaker 8: Secure passports
Speaker 3: Yeah, sir.
Speaker 8: And so much more.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Affordable housing.
Speaker 8: Affordable housing. Yeah. But federal employees Yeah. Your work is what makes America great. Yeah.
You are the backbone of this country. Yeah. And so many, this administration and then and fools in congress have forgotten that. Yeah. So NEFFE is proud to stand with AMG today and tell Elon Musk and his Doge cronies, you should not be at OPM.
Get out of here. Yeah. Pack your crap and get out
Speaker 3: of here.
Speaker 8: You don't know what you're doing. Yeah. Go ahead, man. They don't know what they're doing. They're breaking the law, and they're undermining every federal agency out there that is doing critical, often life saving work for the American people.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 8: We've seen them file fire wildland firefighters.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Are
Speaker 8: you kidding me? Air traffic controllers and other FAA folks keeping our air traffic safe. Are you kidding me? Yeah. VA suicide hotline workers.
Yes. How can you do this? How how are you kidding me? Nuclear regulators. The list goes on and on.
Yeah. So they sent a fork in the road to to that fork in the road email to 90% of federal workers out there.
Speaker 11: Do
Speaker 8: you know how irresponsible irresponsible that is? Yeah. Come on. Yeah. We're tired of it.
Speaker 3: Tired of it.
Speaker 8: We're tired of Elon Musk and his cronies weaponizing OPM for a doge agenda. Yeah. We're tired of Elon Musk and his cronies forcing a usually meticulously law abiding agency like OPM to do things that are illegal. Yeah. We're tired of OPM of Elon Musk and his cronies accessing highly sensitive personal information of our members and not caring for that information.
You're right. We're tired of Elon Musk and his cronies sidelining the dedicated civil servants that work in this building. Yeah. I've been working for with them for twenty four years. They do great work.
Yeah. And they're sidelining them to break the law. Yeah. The work being done by the federal government is serious work. Yeah.
DOGE doesn't take what is done seriously. Yeah. So they can't be here at OPM putting the sticks in the spokes of our government.
Speaker 3: That's right, sir.
Speaker 8: Every day that Elon Musk and his cronies are here, they are doing irreparable harm
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 8: To the federal government.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 8: And by the way, Trump and Doge, to do these things, he is violating the law. He is violating his the president, by allowing Doge to do this, is violating his oath of office. Yeah. Under section two Yeah. Article three of the constitution Yes, sir.
Constitution Yes, sir. The president has to faithfully execute the laws of this country.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 8: And he is not doing that. No. The American people should be pissed about this. I don't care who you voted for.
Speaker 3: Yeah. That's right. That's right.
Speaker 8: So now we have new number, new number. A 75,000 federal workers have now either been laid off or forced into a, you know, a deferred resignation.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 8: Okay? That's that's terrible.
Speaker 3: That's
Speaker 8: true. Among them, we've got over 50,000 veterans
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 8: That are now jobless
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 8: Because of these jerks. Yeah. Okay? That's unacceptable. 50,000 jobless veterans.
I can't believe that. And their aim no. They they have not taken their foot off the gas. They wanna lay off 75% of the federal workforce. Yeah.
If they're successful, that'll be half a million middle class veterans jobless because of these heartless sons of guns over here.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Come Come on.
Speaker 8: And I just wanna touch on the hypocrisy of Elon Musk. Yeah. This guy put out a tweet a couple weeks ago calling people on federal programs and federal workers part of the parasite class. Yeah. Did you see this?
Yeah. Okay. There's not a person in this country who has benefited more from federal programs than Elon Musk. Yeah.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 8: Okay? Right. Yet he's gonna call 9,100,000 veterans on veterans programs parasites.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 8: They're not parasites. They're heroes.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 8: Yeah. He's gonna call 77% of people on Social Security are seniors that rely Social Security to be kept out of poverty. He's gonna call them parasites? Hell no.
Speaker 3: No. No. And
Speaker 8: at this point, we know that this doge effort has absolutely nothing to do with efficiency. No. He has been running out off the best and brightest in government. A lot of these folks that were probationary workers were only probationary workers because they got promoted into into new positions.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 8: Some of them have been with the federal government for decades. They're the best and brightest. The list goes on. Worse maybe worst of all, he is creating a toxic work environment in the federal government. Folks, this is not a recipe for efficiency.
This is a recipe for disaster. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
Speaker 8: So, you know, after nine eleven, the terrorist attack, we said never forget. And right now, we are telling the dedicated workers that keep our country safe. We've we've told them to scram, and and we are we are forgetting the hard lessons learned from nine and 09:11.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 8: It should not take another terrorist attack for for this country to wake up and say this garbage has to stop.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 8: And and the worst part of it all is that these cuts don't really have to happen. Elon Musk was in the in in the, Oval Office the other day, with a cabinet saying, oh, well, if we don't have all these cuts, well, we're gonna we're gonna go bankrupt. That's not true. They're pushing through a 4,500,000,000,000 tax cut for the only the only the wealthiest in Americans will benefit from that, and they're doing that concurrently. We're not we're not going broke if they're trying to push through the biggest tax cut in history.
Get lost with that crap.
Speaker 3: That's right. That's right.
Speaker 8: Alright. So so, Doge, pack your crap and get out.
Speaker 2: Alright.
Speaker 8: You don't know what you're doing. Yeah. You're putting people in danger. Yeah. The dough's gotta go from OPM.
Yeah. Alright.
Speaker 2: Alright. Alright. Appreciate you.
Speaker 0: Appreciate you. Appreciate you.
Speaker 8: You for your Thank time.
Speaker 0: Amen. Let's hear it again for Randy Irwin. Give him another round of applause. Alright. All of us here in solidarity together.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Let's hear now from Brittany Anderson of Pride at Work. Alright. Where's
Speaker 2: Brittany? Alright, Brittany.
Speaker 0: There you
Speaker 4: are. Hi.
Speaker 0: Thank brother. Okay. Come on now. Alright.
Speaker 17: Good afternoon, siblings.
Speaker 3: Good afternoon. My
Speaker 17: name is Brittany Anderson, and I'm a proud union queer.
Speaker 2: Alright.
Speaker 17: Yeah. Yeah. I serve as the interim executive director of Pride at Work, which is the labor movement's organizing hub for LGBTQIA plus workers and union members, including many members of AFGE and other federal workers. I wanna thank president Kelly and all of you, the membership of AFGE for your leadership
Speaker 11: Thank you.
Speaker 17: In this cross roads in our American history and for the work that you do every single day to make our country, our economy, and our communities function. My mother is a federal worker in rural Missouri. So it makes me particularly angry to see billionaires who only got where they are because their daddies were rich claiming to know anything about real work or who is qualified to do it.
Speaker 3: Oh, boy.
Speaker 17: Let's be clear about the lies Trump and Elon tell about the office of personnel management. OPM protects merit based jobs.
Speaker 2: Yes. That's right.
Speaker 17: So and let's also talk about why Trump and Musk and MAGA Republicans tell these lies. The attacks on federal workers, on transgender kids and adults, on immigrants, on black Americans are an intentional strategy
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 17: Right. To divide the working class.
Speaker 2: Yes. Yes. Yep.
Speaker 17: The ultra wealthy and the politicians they buy want to distract us from their real agenda
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 17: Which is to lower wages.
Speaker 11: Yep.
Speaker 17: Bust unions.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 17: And make our health care more expensive. Yeah. So they can keep lining our their pockets with the profits.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Speaker 17: But we aren't falling for it. No. No. No. When we see these tactics for what they are, we can join together across our differences to build a properly funded government
Speaker 11: Yeah.
Speaker 17: And an economy that works for all of us, whether we are black or brown, Asian, white or Latino, native or newcomer, trans or cis, straight or queer, a person of faith or not. And to build that better future, we need to protect and invest in our federal workforce, not dismantle it. From the Pullman sleeping cars to Selma to Stonewall Yeah. We will build a government, country, and economy where all of us can thrive, no exceptions. Yes.
Speaker 9: Thank you.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Let's hear it. Let's hear it for Britney again.
Speaker 3: Alright. Alright. This
Speaker 0: this obsession the White House has with our LGBTQIA community. Britney is here. We are here Yeah. Because labor is here. Yeah.
And a lot of what Britney is saying that we need to keep building, we've already built. That's what they wanna take away.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: We've come too far Yeah. To to turn back now. Amen? Right. Thank you, Brenda.
Give her another round of applause.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Alright.
Speaker 0: Now we wanna hear representing black voters. Where's Danielle? Black voters matter. Danielle Brown. Come on, Danielle.
Speaker 2: Danielle. Danielle. Alright. Alright.
Speaker 14: Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. My name is Danielle Brown. I'm the national co field director for black voters matter. But more importantly, I'm an AFGE girl.
Speaker 3: Come on. Alright. Alright. By
Speaker 14: way of local seventeen thirty eight out of Salisbury, North Carolina where I got my organizing skills Yeah. And my labor skills.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Right.
Speaker 14: So you learn from the best. Yeah. Today, I wanna focus on two words. One is civil, the other is service. Wow.
Because there's been nothing civil about firing government workers who have done nothing but serve this country.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: There has been nothing civil about gutting benefits that leave children starving and illiterate.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: There's been nothing civil about making veterans who have served this country wait for treatment because there's no one to service their needs.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 14: There's been nothing civil about dismantling the postal service and crippling our mail system.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 14: There's been nothing civil about DEI being used as a resource to define hatred, racism, and bigotry.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Alright.
Speaker 14: There has been nothing civil that has come out of this federal government since January.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 14: So today, we focus on what is civil. What is civil is continuing to fight for voting rights.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: What is civil is continuing to fight for organizing rights.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 14: What is civil is continuing to fight for our rights
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: As government employees
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: Here in this community.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 14: As we continue to fight and as we say in black lord black voters matter, we fight back.
Speaker 3: Yeah. See? Come on. How?
Speaker 14: Black voters matter not only stands with our union siblings, but we are in the fight with you in the communities across 30 cut across 30 different states
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: Here in this country.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 14: We are not about to stand for someone that will that continues to abuse the power through blatant racism, fascism that seeks to devour our democracy. Yeah. Democracy. Yeah. This has been an embarrassment
Speaker 11: Yeah.
Speaker 14: To the voting rights and to the work that each one of us have put in in 2024 when we knocked on doors, when we made phone calls, and when we said go to the polls. Yeah. This has been an embarrassment to our country
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 14: As a whole. Yeah. So we stand today here with here with all of our gov our government employees
Speaker 0: Yeah.
Speaker 14: And our siblings to say that we will continue to fight back.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Let's see it for Danielle Brown once again. Black voters matter. Yeah. Well, okay. You know, I don't have no black voters matter jacket either.
Y'all see them nasty jacket today? Yeah. We got to have a jacket meeting. I just I'd be remiss. I should have said it when Kwaizi was here, but looking at Claude and others who are members of the of the NAACP family, we wanna just lift up the name of mama Hazel Dukes Yeah.
Yeah. Who was a stalwart
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: And and helped to consummate the marriage between civil rights and labor. Amen? Yeah. So we lift her up for her ninety years of over ninety years of service
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: To our people. Amen?
Speaker 3: Yeah. Amen.
Speaker 0: We got some retirees here.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: We got a few retirees? Yeah. Look, folks, retired still out here, but you never retired from the struggle, do you?
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 0: Reggie Booth. Come on, brother. Brother well, give Reggie brother Reggie a round of applause. Alright. Alright.
Speaker 16: Alright, Reggie. Afternoon, everybody. I appreciate you all coming out here, and I'm really low low shook up right now. I re recently retired, you know, from the government. I did six years in the in the air force.
Was part of it. Tell me back up. Come on. Okay. Can y'all hear me now?
Yeah. Okay. Like I said, dealing with with some frustrates, especially when I heard him mention the the 50,000 veterans that that have lost their their their their jobs Mhmm. Since all of this this is going on. You know, we every everybody should be upset about that.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 16: You know, just like even when he mentioned, lest we never forget, you know, nine eleven. When nine eleven happened, I was, working at the Pentagon. And I was a a maintenance person. And for, you know, everybody else you know, a lot of folk were able to go home, but those of us on the maintenance side had to had to stay there and go inside of that that that blast zone to make sure that we secure water valves for the air conditioning heating and for the fire department, you know, to put out the fire so that the building could continue to remain open as the generals and everybody flew in order to be able to prepare for us to go over overseas and kick ass of those who had just attacked us. So so to hear that, you know, it's very frustrating because a lot of people were lined up, you know, after that to go over and fight for their their their country.
And and a lot a lot of them didn't come back. Yeah. But that's that's something they they wanted to do, and a lot of them did come back. And a lot of those, they they they come came back. You know, they deal with the the mental and the physical scars that they bought back.
Also, you know, there are those of us here that deal with whether mental or or or physical scars, you know, that began, you know, while we were in the military and continued on a lot of time. You know, we you kinda keep those things, you know, to ourself. I retired January eleventh of this year. I'm relying on this building right here to remain open. Yeah.
You know, when I when I have to go and and log on every day and wait and see the disc come or wait and see the dot come or you you you look and you know you you they said your pay gonna be there, but your pay isn't there. But but you also, you know, get numbers to call, but no no one answers because of the fact that everything is, you know, is is downsizing so quickly. I I I I feel sorry for everybody who works here right now, not knowing from day to day, whether when they come here, whether they they they'll the the fake handshakes that they're being greeted with Yeah. To try to make it look like want want you all to think that everything is fine up in here, you know, when it when it's really not. It's a lot of frustration.
It's a lot of a lot of fear. You got childcare, whatever you wanna say, being, you know, ran up in here right now, young people basically trying to put down those who've been working here all of these years and make it seem like somebody 18, 19 years old could come in here and have the the the the experience that that that you have, and and and that's just not, you know, that's that's that's not so. Right. You know, I wrote some things down. Like I said, I'm fraud so so frustrated, but I'm just trying to make sure, you know, that that, that keep everything, in here.
Op you know, what I said, OPM, just like other agencies that are an attacker, need to keep employees safe and ensure there are adequate policies that don't fluctuate based on who's in the in the in the White House. Regardless of who the president is right now, Musk, Trump, whatever. We all know, you know, what's going on.
Speaker 11: Mhmm.
Speaker 16: The mass firing, the risks that are taking place are going to place past and present government employees in harm's way. We need the services provided by OPM to remain fully operational as a government.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 13: Let me
Speaker 16: say that again. We need the services provided by OPM to remain fully operational as a government. Yeah. I've spoke I spoke with veterans and non veterans alike at OPM, and they are worried, not just about themselves, but about the harms Americans will face now and in the future.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 16: It's gonna get much worse for employees as OPM continues to be ground zero, and they are ground zero.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 16: OPM is ground zero
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 16: For the onslaught of attacks on hardworking government employees Yeah. And other federal federal agencies. Many who have served their country are now being spat upon and forced out of the doors as buildings are being taken over. Support OPM. Yeah.
Yeah. OPM. Yeah. Support OPM.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 16: We need them to remain independent from the White House and Doge. Evict Doge. Get the fork out of OPM. Okay.
Speaker 0: Support OPM. Support OPM. Support OPM. Support OPM. OPM.
Speaker 2: Support OPM.
Speaker 0: Now wait a minute. Did Reggie say that they run their daycare? Did you say that? That might be the line of the day.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Guess give Reggie another round of applause.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 0: And lastly, one of the individuals affected, you can't help but know. It's we're like one at the most, two people removed from someone who's affected by we all know somebody Yeah.
Speaker 8: Who's
Speaker 0: been affected by this. And here to close us out, our dear sister, who is just one such person
Speaker 3: Alright.
Speaker 0: Who was in that category of probationary employee. Yes. Why don't you come and tell us? Shanice Mundell is gonna tell her story. Come on, Alright,
Speaker 2: sis. Sorry. Hello,
Speaker 17: everybody. Hello.
Speaker 9: Name is Shanice Mundell. I live in Maryland. I was an employee of OPM. I'm I'm a union member, chapter thirty two.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 9: Yeah. I'm also a veteran.
Speaker 2: Oh, thank you.
Speaker 9: And Yeah. A mom I'm I'm a mom of three kids. My youngest one is 17. I as of, you know, February 13, I was employed OPM member. I protected the postal workers that deliver your mail every day.
Yes. During rain, sleet, snow, sunshine, I was one of the employees that made sure they were protected to get the mail to you. Thank you. Thank you. Right now, I just wanna bring awareness to everyone out here of what's going on.
I was fired thirty minutes before the end of my day
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 9: Through a video email. Wow. It was a prerecorded email telling me in thirty minutes, I I 03:00, I would have to I would be terminated. I had to gather up my things. I would receive a follow-up email regarding my termination.
So now I'm unemployed. I don't know what kind of efficiency, Elon Musk thinks he's doing, taking people from their jobs, putting them on unemployment No. Making them have to apply for SNAP benefits.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 9: You know, we we're we just wanted to go to work every day and do our jobs. Yeah. You know, I I don't I don't know what's going on. We're living in an upside downtown right now.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 9: But I I do know this is not going to defeat me.
Speaker 3: That's right. Right.
Speaker 9: I'm not gonna let it stop me. I'm actually thinking about running for something.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Come on. So Yeah. Yeah. So
Speaker 9: now they have a problem on their hands because I'm gonna keep amplifying my voice.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you.
Speaker 9: So, you know, just keep us in your prayers. And as the smart, beautiful Kamala Harris said, we will not go back.
Speaker 2: Alright. We are not going back. We're
Speaker 3: not going back.
Speaker 8: Not at all.
Speaker 3: We ain't going back. Bless you. Yeah.
Speaker 0: Let's hear it for Shanice Mandel, who we're proud had the courage out here to come out today and announce her candidacy for president of The United States in 2020. Let's give her another round of applause. Amen. See what y'all did? She was just trying too.
See what y'all did? She was just trying to come work at OPM every day, and y'all done radicalized her to run for president. You're gonna regret that. You're regret it.
Speaker 9: Yeah.
Speaker 0: We want everyone to encourage their members
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Of congress, their elected officials to support h r four nine two, the save the civil service act.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 0: Is that right?
Speaker 2: That's what
Speaker 3: it's called? Yeah.
Speaker 0: Alright. We wanna thank everybody for being here. This won't be the last time.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 0: We're keep our heads up. When we fight, we win.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Evict Elon. Evict Elon. Evict Elon. Evict Elon.
Evict Elon. Evict Elon. Who are we? AFGD. Who are we?
AFGD. Who are we?
@amuse - @amuse
DOGE: The government spent $8M painting Black Lives Matter on the street in Washington DC?!?!? https://t.co/q3flCmcdY9
Video Transcript AI Summary
I was unaware of the Black Lives Matter plaza, but given recent government spending, I'd estimate its cost at $1.5 million. I was shocked to learn it actually cost $8 million.
As a small business owner, it's disappointing to see that amount spent, considering our operating costs, employee pay, and taxes.
I don't think removing the Black Lives Matter Plaza will hugely affect the Black community.
As for renaming it, I would rename it to All Lives Matter.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: How much do you think the Black Lives Matter plaza cost to put on the street? So I wasn't aware of the plaza, but
Speaker 1: with the things that I've been seeing recently with the costs of different things that the government is spending money on and initiatives, I would say $1,500,000 It actually costs $8,000,000
Speaker 0: How do you how do you feel about the government spending that much money on a Black Lives Matter plaza?
Speaker 1: So it's really difficult for me because we are small business owners. Thinking about what it costs for us to operate and pay our employees for money to be spent like that and the taxes that we have to pay as small business owners is pretty disappointing.
Speaker 0: How do you feel like the removal of the Black Lives Matter Plaza will affect the Black community?
Speaker 1: Probably not in a hugely significant way. I can't imagine that it would. I mean
Speaker 0: Do you think we should rename the Black Lives Matter Plaza for something else? What would you rather rename it to? All lives matter.
@SandraXFreedom - Տᗩᑎᗪᖇᗩ🎗️
DOGE Cancels $52M U.S. Taxpayer Funds to World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates🤡very upset because now the people trying to take over the world may have to use their own money....instead of US taxpayers. Well done DOGE 💥 https://t.co/fXS2YCV4lT
@WesternLensman - Western Lensman
🚨Sen Joni Ernst gets booed after she announces that DOGE has saved American taxpayers $115 billion since January. Keep it up, Democrats. You’re doing just great. https://t.co/Pflpt310Ad
Video Transcript AI Summary
Since January, Doge has saved $115 billion. This amounts to $714 per taxpayer.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Iowa. Mister president, since January, Doge has saved $115,000,000,000. That's that's amounts to Order. Please. That amounts to $714 per taxpayer.
@BehizyTweets - George
DOGE just revealed that the government spent $1 billion on a survey asking if people liked National Parks. MY BLOOD IS BOILING RIGHT NOW! https://t.co/vnENAT0bVj
@amuse - @amuse
DOGE: EPA Director Lee Zeldin announced the closure of the EPA museum—an exhibit the Biden Administration built for $4 million and maintained at $600,000 a year, despite being no larger than a small apartment. https://t.co/UhB8QhFcgg
Video Transcript AI Summary
The EPA headquarters in DC houses a museum, built and curated by the Biden administration for $4 million, dedicated to environmental justice and climate change. Its annual operating cost is $600,000.
The museum's timeline omits any mention of President Trump's first administration. From May 2024 through the previous month, the museum had 1,909 public visitors, costing taxpayers $315 per visitor.
Due to low public attendance and high operating costs, the museum will be shut down. This decision aims to be an exceptional steward of taxpayer dollars. The agency will focus on providing cleaner, healthier, and safer land, air, and water without spending over half a million dollars on a museum presenting an ideologically slanted story of the EPA. The speaker claims that under President Trump, the practice of burning tax dollars on pet projects will end.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: If you were to visit the museum located here at EPA headquarters in DC, you would learn a lot about the road to environmental justice and climate change. This museum claims EPA pursues its mission by advancing environmental justice, equity and civil rights compliance. A timeline of key events conveniently omits any mention of President Trump's first administration. I'm currently standing inside of this museum, which was built and curated by the Biden administration with 4,000,000 in taxpayer dollars. As if this wasn't enough of a price tag to fill a room the size of an apartment, this shrine to environmental justice and climate change cost the American taxpayer $600,000 to operate annually.
This agency has been spending $123,000 on cleaning, $207,000 for security, 54,000 on maintenance, and an additional $54,000 on storage. From May 2024 through last month, only 1,909 members of the public visited the museum. Even though it is free admission, this museum costs you, the taxpayer, $315 per external visitor. I have pledged to be an exceptional steward of taxpayer dollars. So this shrine to EJ and climate change will now be shut down for good.
I will do my part to help the American people learn more about the amazing work of our agency to provide cleaner, healthier and safer land, air and water. We will do so without paying over half a million in tax dollars on a museum that is barely visited and designed to tell an ideologically slanted, partial story of the EPA. Under President Trump, we are ending the practice of burning tax dollars on pet projects that do nothing to help this agency achieve our mission of protecting human health and the environment.
@amuse - @amuse
DOGE: Democrats in Washington State have managed to create the biggest per capita deficit in the nation and in the history of the republic. No other state has spent so much and received so little. It’s DOGE time… https://t.co/1la4bJ4j6e
Video Transcript AI Summary
The governor states that neither the House nor Senate budget is acceptable due to excessive taxes and reliance on a wealth tax, which is legally questionable. He proposes a balanced approach, considering a $16 billion shortfall and potential federal cuts.
The governor's priorities include protecting the rainy day fund, using realistic revenue projections, minimizing new investments, including significant efficiencies and savings, and avoiding reliance on legally dubious revenue sources. The current state budget is $72 billion, double what it was a decade ago, and federal funding constitutes 28% of it. Federal cuts are already impacting public health, food assistance, and other areas.
The governor emphasizes maintaining reserves, as Washington is one of the states with the lowest reserve percentages. He also highlights Washington's trade dependency and the potential impact of tariffs. While open to discussing revenue options to address the state's regressive tax structure, he is wary of relying on a wealth tax, suggesting openness to a very small wealth tax for the purpose of testing it in court. He is committed to working with legislators to find a sustainable budget solution.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: The house and the senate. There are good ideas in both budgets, and I'll speak more about those good ideas a bit later. I also appreciate the many productive conversations I've been having with leadership on both sides of the aisle, and those conversations will, of course, continue. Neither budget, however, is close to one that I can sign for two key reasons. First, they each propose far too much in taxes.
Second, they both rely on a wealth tax, which is novel, untested, difficult to implement, and most importantly for purposes of adopting a sustainable budget will face an immediate challenge in court. If the legislature wishes to complete our work on time, they need to immediately move budget discussions in a significantly different direction on both of these issues. A month ago, I presented my proposal to save $4,000,000,000 over the next four years with many of you here in this room. Some folks on my side of the aisle grumbled a bit about those proposals, but both the house and the senate adopted most of these ideas and the savings we presented. I was glad to see that they embraced the need to scrub our budget.
I also appreciate that they proposed their own additional savings and reductions. My team and I are reviewing those very carefully. Additionally, the budgets accept most of the $3,000,000,000 in reductions proposed by former governor Inslee. Those reductions constitute significant progress in meeting our shortfall and demonstrate to Washingtonians that we are carefully searching the budget for efficiencies and appropriate cuts that preserve core services. Unfortunately, since our press conference several weeks ago, our budget situation has gone from bad to worse.
First, we received the updated revenue forecast. I had hoped the news would be positive. Unfortunately, the forecast, as you know, adds another billion dollars to our shortfall, bringing the total to 16,000,000,000 over the next four years. Second, while we knew things would be rocky with the federal government, things have escalated dramatically in the last month on multiple fronts, including significant budget cuts from the federal government that result in a bigger budget challenge for us. We're seeing you're seeing the headlines every day.
Hospitals cutting hundreds of staff, public health funds being eliminated, food assistance reduced, all due to federal funding cuts. We can and we must prepare for even greater cuts from the federal government. We need to accept the reality that we are in the midst of unprecedented times with the federal government that is intent on making significant cuts no matter the resulting harm to Americans. This is a five alarm fire and I intend to treat it that way. After a careful review of our budget situation, it is clear we cannot adopt an all cuts budget because that would result in cutting core services.
At the same time, we cannot adopt a budget with anywhere near the level of taxes currently proposed by the House and Senate. We must take a balanced approach that prepares our state for an extremely situation with the federal government and our economy. I'm joined by OFM director, Katie Chapman C. Katie and her team have been working extremely hard since I took office and she's here to help answer questions for any particularly for any detailed questions you may have about the budget. I do wanna be very clear about my priorities with legislators and the public as we work toward a final budget.
Here are five things I need to sign. Here are five things I need to see in the budget that I will ultimately sign. First, we must protect our rainy day fund, otherwise known as the budget stabilization account, the BSA. My apologies. I use those terms interchangeably, but when I refer to rainy day fund, I am referring to the BSA, the budget stabilization account.
So we must protect our rainy day fund, every penny of it. The house budget does this and I support that. Number two, we must base our budget on realistic revenue projections, not the 4.5% allowed by law, which is inconsistent with the projections of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. The Senate budget does this, and I support that. Third, we must minimize new investments.
Fourth, we must include billions of dollars in efficiencies and savings to demonstrate to the people that we have scrubbed our budget as much as possible in a way that still preserves core services such as public safety and K through 12 education. And fifth, we cannot rely on a revenue source with a real possibility of being overturned by the courts. So briefly, our budget overview. Our current state budget is approximately $7,072,000,000,000 dollars. That's about double what it was a decade ago.
We are not in a recession. Our new budget will continue to grow. Both budgets have targeted investments I support. One example, both chambers have proposals on the response to overcrowding in juvenile rehabilitation. We have a real crisis right now and have been working in a bipartisan way to address it.
That said, we need to avoid overcommitting on new investments. Given our budget realities, this is not the time for major investments in any program no matter how worthwhile. When you've got a $16,000,000,000 budget shortfall, you've gotta stop digging. Let's talk about federal funding. Funding from the federal government makes up a significant part of our state budget.
28% of our budget is federal dollars, About 43,000,000,000 per biennium. I'll just give a few examples of what that federal funding means on a biennium basis for Washington State. Thirty four billion dollars for Medicaid. That's about 60% of our entire Medicaid budget. 2 and a half billion dollars for education.
A billion dollars for child welfare and early learning. 600,000,000 for disaster recovery and response. 304,000,000 for unemployment insurance, 864,000,000 for temporary assistance for needy families. There are no guarantees that federal that federal funding will continue in these and other areas. We saw that just last week when the federal government abruptly canceled a hundred and $60,000,000 in public health funding.
That represents more than 200 state jobs, including epidemiologists and workers providing vaccines. This impacts hundreds of providers in our communities. It makes it harder for our state to address disease outbreaks. It also makes it harder for individuals to get mental health care, substance abuse treatment, as well as assistance applying for housing, food, and medical benefits. We saw it again yesterday.
The headline said, Trump cuts affect Washington school food supply. In short, we cannot predict with certainty what is gonna happen with our federal funding, but we can be sure there will be chaos and more cuts to come with little or no warning. For example, there is extensive news coverage about potential cuts to Medicaid by the federal government. If for example, the federal government cuts just 1% from that funding, the impacts could be profound for thousands of Washingtonians. In other words, our budget situation is grim, but it may soon become dire.
Those storm clouds are not on the horizon, they are on top of us right now. The good news is there are decisions we can make in the next few weeks that will place us in a stronger position to deal with the inevitable federal cuts that are headed our way. The first and most important thing we can do to prepare for that storm is to maintain our reserves, particularly our rainy day fund. The house budget maintains these reserves. I appreciate and totally support them.
Our treasurer Mike Plexiati has emphasized how important this is. We are already an outlier on reserves and I want to take a moment to talk about this. We are one of just four states in the entire country with reserves at 10% or less our annual budget. Reserves protect Washington from economic instability, the devastation of natural disasters, and an increasingly hostile federal government. Draining our reserves will weaken Washington's outstanding credit rating and impair our ability to borrow funds at competitive rates for routine or emergency purposes.
We currently have a triple A bond rating. It's critical we maintain that. Simply put, the triple A bond rating means more projects and lower costs. When our state is highly rated, it opens up capacity in our transportation and capital budgets to build more schools, fund more environmental cleanup projects, and replace aging infrastructure faster. If we put ourselves at risk of a downgrade, it would make future budgets even tighter and restrict our ability to deliver on needed projects in every corner of our state.
Reserves are also critical responding to natural disasters. Washington is the fourth most disaster prone state in the nation. The federal government, as you know, is making dramatic cuts to FEMA. It is a sad commentary on what is happening with the federal administration that we can no longer count on them when we have our next natural disaster. We must be prepared to help communities and Washingtonians across the state who find themselves confronting the impacts of, for example, a fire if the federal does not come through with assistance.
It is particularly important to live within our means right now in light of the tariffs that have already been implemented. It's clear, by the way, that more tariffs are on the way with president Trump announcing his liberation day tomorrow. Washington is one of the most trade dependent states in the nation. In 2024, Washington ranked ninth in exported goods shipping $58,000,000,000 worth of goods to the world. Nearly 120,000,000,000 exports and imports flowed through Washington State ports last year.
Approximately 40% of our jobs are tied to trade. Washington's agricultural exports totaled 7 and a half billion dollars in 2023. Canada is our number one export market for agricultural goods and Mexico is number four. A trade war will hit Washington hard, especially our farmers. We have to plan for that.
Whatever might happen in the future, we are not currently in a recession, which is why many Washingtonians I speak to wonder why we have a $16,000,000,000 budget shortfall. We must balance in a more sustainable way and based on what our economic experts say, the revenue forecast is. The law does allow us to assume 4.5% growth even if that not realistic. That does not mean, however, we must spend to that amount. In the past, we budgeted assuming 4.5 growth even though the economic and revenue forecast council projected a lower amount of growth.
We cannot do that any longer. Any budget I sign must spend only based on what our economic experts forecast our growth will be. Washington families must budget to the actual salaries of their family members. The state of Washington, as long as I'm governor, will do exactly that. Our budget must also be based on revenue sources that we can successfully defend in court.
I said before I took office that I'm deeply skeptical I'm deeply skeptical of proposals for a wealth tax. My position has not changed. Despite that, both chambers adopted budgets that rely on untested wealth tax. 12,000,000,000 in the senate, seven billion in the house. I will not sign that.
The legal arguments for wealth tax are untested. The courts could go either way on that issue. It would be irresponsible to rely on untested new tax to balance our budget, particularly given the situation we face with the federal government. This is my question to those who seek to balance our budget with a multibillion dollar wealth tax. What's the plan if the wealth tax is declared unconstitutional after the session ends?
I have not heard a satisfactory answer to that question. I do agree with proponents of the wealth tax on something very important. Washington's tax structure is too regressive. Indeed, we have the most the second most regressive tax structure in the country. And I'm not opposed to revenue that makes our system more fair.
That's why I support our capital gains tax and successfully defended it as attorney general. That time, I was not a legislator. I did not take a position on the capital gains tax. I did anyway because I believe that was a revenue source that made sense and I was very confident we could defend it in court, which we did. That's why I supported attacks on big out of state banks and we successfully defended that court as well.
But we need to be smart about how we address this issue, and that includes adopting revenue sources that we are very confident we can successfully defend in court. There are also important questions about implementation and how successful it will be in the long term. The Department of Revenue, as you know, noted that many countries have ultimately repealed wealth taxes due to high administrative costs, tax evasion, and low revenues. In short, we need to make a sustainable plan now that Washingtonians can rely on. We need to use the time we have just a few more weeks to make a plan using revenue sources we are confident will hold up in court.
And we can do that by working together. I understand that my approach is making some of my friends and supporters unhappy. That is okay. Sometimes we need to tell our friends our truth. Our values are being challenged by the Trump administration right now as we speak in real time.
We protect our values by making sure we are not beholden to a federal government that has shown its willingness to use funding to punish organizations and states it disagrees with. I have some experience dealing with Donald Trump. When I was attorney general, we won nearly 60 cases against the Trump administration because we built an excellent legal team. We prepared very, very carefully. We anticipated what he would do next, and we acted decisively.
We rarely lost. Hope is not a strategy with Donald Trump. Take my word on that. I'm not gonna allow the state that I love to be at the financial mercy of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. That is not gonna happen.
We are in a challenging financial situation. We must not make it weaker. We must make smart choices now so that in the coming months and years, we can protect Washingtonians on Medicaid, support our education system, preserve public health, support Washingtonians facing national disasters, and maintain core services. The time to prepare is right now. Inheriting a $16,000,000,000 budget shortfall with a hostile federal government was not how I wanted to start my first term as governor of the state of Washington.
There is no point in complaining about it, but I do plan on addressing it head on. Here's what that means. No budget gimmicks. No unrealistic revenue assumptions. Preserve our reserves and our rainy day fund.
Prepare for more cuts from the federal government. Preserve our triple a bond rating. Protect core services and balance the budget. If we take those steps now and we can, our budget will be based on a strong foundation and will withstand the storm that is upon us. Thanks for your time and I look forward to any questions that you have.
Speaker 1: Hear you say anything about the payroll tax. As you know, Brad Smith, president of Microsoft has suggested it will cost Washington going its jobs. Yep. East Side Mayors have said the same thing. I didn't hear you say one way or the other how you feel about a payroll tax.
Speaker 0: You're right. Christian Henry talked about a lot different taxes. So we have a whole conversation going on with leadership. So that's a conversation we're having. Right?
There's gonna be a lot of negotiations going on with legislative leaders. So we're gonna have those conversations play out. We've got a few more weeks. But because the budget specifically relied on, as you know, the wealth tax specifically and I've been communicating my concerns. I'm I'm outlining here with legislative leaders, but I felt it important to let the public know where I stood on that because it was such a big part of those budgets.
Speaker 1: So are you are you are
Speaker 0: you entertaining the idea of a 5% payroll tax? What I'm gonna do is have a conversation with both caucuses about what our options are, but I'm not gonna negotiate that that right here.
Speaker 2: Yes. The Department of Labor Industries requested nearly 40,000,000 to upgrade the workers' compensation system. OFM dropped that request to 17,900,000.0 and both the house and senate haven't included that in their budget proposals. However, your budget did not include any funding for the IT upgrade. Can you explain the rationale for that?
And to my understanding, there are also numerous quality assurance concerns. Did that play into your decision?
Speaker 0: Yep. So we will have in the next twenty I don't know you want take take this. Was gonna mention the concerns letter but this is Katie as you know. Who do want? Yeah.
Speaker 3: So, actually just to clarify that, that was a data error that has been corrected. So, we have communicated back last month to House and Senate staff that that was an unintentional omission of that project.
Speaker 4: So you
Speaker 3: did. Yes.
Speaker 2: Or did intend
Speaker 3: to include. Yes.
Speaker 2: Would it be that 17?
Speaker 3: At the $17,900,000 level. Yes.
Speaker 0: Thanks, Katie. I just will add we're some of may have questions about, hey, specific things in the house budget, senate budget. We will, as you know, the governor sends a a concerns letter to the different chambers. We intend to I've got a draft I need to go through. We're hoping to get out in the next forty eight hours or so.
So on some specific questions you may have, obviously, we're still going through that, going through the budgets. It's lot of work going on, but look for that in the next twenty four to forty eight hours. Governor, should be
Speaker 4: questions related to taxes. First, a follow-up, Chris.
Speaker 0: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Question. Both budgets are dependent on revenue from the payroll tax. You're pretty clear on one but so, why are you not taking a more clear position?
Speaker 0: Because I'm with the wealth tax. Yeah.
Speaker 4: Maybe not the amount, but you support the tax and you as a biggie.
Speaker 0: Appreciate the follow-up. My answer is still the same, but thanks for the question.
Speaker 4: Okay. And then on the wealth tax, it's I wanna understand. Will you veto any wealth tax bill and any budget with a wealth tax? Or is there a level would you like to see it tested in court? And so maybe they'll put something that the budget is not dependent on it, but it's there.
What would you like?
Speaker 0: That's a fair question. What I'd say on that is what I would say on that what I've communicated to to leaders is what I've said to all of you today, obviously. But I have said, hey, I'm open to a conversation about a proposal of a wealth tax that would be nowhere than a hundred million dollars a year. If they a hundred million dollars a year. That it would bring in.
That would bring in. That could be tested in court. So I wanna be very clear. I'm not committed to that, but there's been a lot of conversation about wealth taxes you might imagine from myself and legislative leaders and others as well. And so what I've said in response as I'm open to a conversation about that.
To your point about, hey, if folks wanted to see it and get a test in court, see if it can be upheld, see if it's tested in the court of public opinion, see if it's upheld, see if it can be implemented. I think those are all fair perspectives. So what I've said to them is what I'm saying to you is I'm open to a conversation about that. I've not made any commitments on that, but I'm open to a conversation on that.
Speaker 4: Okay. Where does
Speaker 0: your support stand for increasing the capital property taxes? I I mean, I I appreciate all the questions on different revenue sources. I'm just not gonna engage in those, so I appreciate that. Those are conversations we're gonna have. There's a lot of negotiations to go on, And but I'm just not gonna get into specific proposals right now.
Speaker 1: Do you have any concerns about how that impact the cost of housing and already expense?
Speaker 0: Have concerns about any revenue source and what that means for businesses, for Washingtonians, you name it. I have concerns, which is why a few weeks ago, I talked about, hey, let's look at our budget first. Let's find the efficiencies first. The reason for that was because I have concerns about new revenues, especially given, you know, where our economy may be heading right now with the tariffs and what's coming from the federal government. But that said, we have multiple weeks ahead us.
There's gonna be a lot of negotiations on that. I think there needs to be a balanced approach. I'm persuaded by that, but I'm not gonna negotiate the details of that right here, and I'm I'm sure you all understand that. Yes.
Speaker 2: Do think as you spoke about implementing furlough days, one day
Speaker 0: No. You know, we we put those ideas out there for the legislature as you know and, you know, we've got a very challenging budget situation. And, you know, I saw with interest what, you know, what the legislature proposed in that and what they didn't propose in that. So, again, this is all you guys have all been around here a long time. Right?
You know what happens in the next few weeks. There's a lot of negotiations that are gonna go on. A lot of conversations are gonna go on. And but I do appreciate and I do wanna underscore this that most of what we propose, thanks mostly to the hard work of Katie and the team on reductions and savings, most of that was adopted. And I think that's a big step in the right direction.
I think Washingtonians expect us before we go talking about new revenues and what those look like that we've tried to go through our budget as carefully as we possibly can. So I appreciate the fact that they accepted most of those and that I think I mentioned in my remarks. If not, I wanna emphasize this. They also have their own ideas that I we're going through. I'm sure we're gonna be accepting and working with them on many of those as well.
So and we're still building that number, which sort of also gets to the revenue question. Right? What is the number we've gotta get to? Part of it is, hey. How much can we get on the savings?
Right? There's proposals from one of the one of the chambers on lending some tax breaks for entities. I think there's a of merit to that, right? Are there the votes for those? These are all the conversations that have to go on as you come in for a landing on a budget, obviously.
So so we're looking at those, and we're glad they leaned into that as well. That that's extremely helpful for us as we try to close this out. I think I have a meeting in thirty five minutes with senator Braun and representative Stokesbury, so I'm sure I'll be hearing their perspective. I've been meeting with two of them regularly as well. So, again, I won't get into details of those conversations for obvious reasons.
Right? We're at a critical time, but I appreciate the perspective, and we've had multiple meetings just like I've had with the Democratic leadership, and and those conversations will go on. I do. Yes. I understand the question.
Yep. Yep. I'll I'll just be good just to elaborate on that. It's anyone who's ever worked with me in my time as AG knows I'm very thoughtful about having bottom lines. As you can imagine, AG, any lawsuit we bring, at some point, you're trying to settle a case so it doesn't go to trial, and at some point, I just would believe in saying to the other side, this is our bottom line.
And anyone who ever worked with me, any entities, we had lawsuit against knows, I did not deviate from those bottom lines. But that think I just finished. Sorry. I did not deviate from those bottom lines. So I don't make them lightly.
I wanna be really clear about that. I put a lot of care into and a lot of thought before I put a bottom line out there because they're bottom lines. Right? But but that is important. And look, and I appreciate that on both the house and sent a lot of different proposals out there.
So I appreciate that, you know, that folks are are looking at that. I appreciate senator Holy, you know, has been a great ally on this. I I really appreciate that. And his flexibility is greatly appreciated. I wanna emphasize that.
I think he's made it very clear. He's not tied to sort of one way to get there. But but, no, I'm confident it'll be there in the end.
Speaker 4: Yes. If
Speaker 0: we can get someone who has had a question in. Yeah.
Speaker 2: And I guess what what does the path look like to accomplishing that just knowing the constraints that there are around tax
Speaker 0: Yeah, man. I think I spoke with that at some length, right? In other words, I share that concern. I talked about a lot when I was running for governor. How aggressive our tax system is?
But I think in solving any problem is doing that in a way that is smart and that makes sense and is achievable, right? And so, you know, I don't wanna get into the details on the legal side of it for all sorts of obvious reasons, but, you know, I think it is fair to say that the courts go either way on that issue. So it is simply not an option for me, okay, to balance a budget on a revenue source where that is the case. And so to Jerry's earlier question, you know, that's why I say I'm open to a conversation. I'm something that is very, very small that can then be tested in court.
That that's a conversation I'm willing to have because it goes to heart of your question. Right? We do have a system that is not fair, that is too aggressive. That's a fact. So I'm open to trying to solve that, but we've gotta be doing that in a way that is that's thoughtful.
Sherry do you have a follow-up on the question about the $100,000,000 We spoke
Speaker 4: a couple of weeks ago, you said whatever Senator Holey is good with I'm good with. He was good with less than $100,000,000 at that time. In fact, he's good with the bill that passed out of the Senate today. Think had along the lines of 12 and a half million a year. So, are you still in that position that if senator Holy is good with it, you're good with it?
Speaker 0: I'll follow-up with senator Hope. We'll have more conversation. So, but I'm committed to 100,000,000 but thanks for the follow-up on that.
Speaker 4: Governor Ferguson. Yes. As you know,
Speaker 0: Well, couple thoughts on that. So I think on the point about, hey, what's plan if there are more cuts? I I tried to outline that approach in in my remarks. Right? Whether it's for homelessness or whether it's for public health or whether it's for education, cuts like that, I believe are coming.
I believe that And that we certainly have to prepare for it. The way to prepare for that is maintaining those rainy day reserves, for example. Right? Is the budget in a way that's sustainable? To put ourselves in a strong fiscal position as possible for whatever those cuts are and to minimize big investments now because who knows what choice we're gonna face in the future.
Right? We need to have the ability to help out Washingtonians if they're the victims of a natural disaster. Right? That needs be something we're able to do. So that is why I'm outlining a budget in the way that I am is so we're prepared for whatever those cuts might be.
And hey, whether it's to be clear, I think you've referred sort of wasteful spending. You know, whatever term one wants to use, but a part of our $4,000,000,000 in reductions included things I think most Washingtonians would say, yeah, we should cut whether we've got a budget challenge or not. And there's over $4,000,000 for a warehouse that we were still running based on COVID times for storage. Right? The team identified that.
We don't need anymore. That makes sense no matter what. So I think in whatever area the budget it is, we will need to make sure that every dollar we're spending is working. Right? That's achieving a goal.
And when this budget process is over, which is a little hard to think about now, but it will be over at some point. And after we give KD and her team a good long break, which they deserve, you know, I'll be preparing a supplemental budget and having a chance to go through in more detail than honestly at at this time. Right? Is is it time to step away from housing first, which is the primary policy? Oh, I I I thought that this is not the time for a lengthy policy discussion on that.
There's a lot of stakeholders and folks who who have a lot of opinions on that and but but as a state, we need to make sure we're continuing our investments to make sure we're helping out folks who are who are unhoused. Some more questions, Jim.
Speaker 2: Do you think do you think that an $80,000,000 cut to wildfire funding to preserve the rainy day fund is the best way to handle natural disasters?
Speaker 0: Well, I've had multiple conversations with Dave Updegrove. And in terms of what we propose, just to be clear on on the double, what we propose in terms of our reductions, we had clear conversations with Dave, and he was very comfortable with what we're doing. And he was clear with me, and I think publicly as well, that what we propose would not impair the work that that our team does in Washington State, the really important work when it comes to addressing fires. So I don't know about sort of the latest again, we're still trying to get to speed on the house and the senate have just adopted. But certainly, we propose, I had multiple communications with Dave to make sure what we proposed would not adversely impact our work on that.
Speaker 1: Governor, you sit here a few weeks ago and said, we're not going to tax our way out of this thing. But it sounds like what you're saying today is you're gonna have to, in some respect, tax your way out of this thing.
Speaker 0: Disagree. I mean, we're not gonna by the tax away, what I mean is, hey, a bulk of what we're doing is on taxes. That's the two proposals we have. That that's my definition of taxing away out of it is what those two proposals are. It's not what we're gonna do.
Do I think a balanced approach is gonna be required? I do. But it's not just tax our way out of this thing. That is not gonna happen. And I'm confident we'll get there.
I think there's a lot of work to do in next few weeks. I'm confident we'll get there. I apologize, I didn't see you earlier. Sorry. Yes.
I have one in my head, but I'm not ready to share, which I hope you understand. Yeah. So we're we're having a lot of conversation. I just wanna really emphasize that. Look, it's and and you all know this.
There's a lot of conversations going on. There's a lot of negotiations. There's a lot of critical issues. And bring all that in for a landing in a few weeks is not gonna be easy. But do I think it's achievable?
Yes. I do. The conversations that I've been having in recent weeks with leadership on both sides, I feel, have been very productive. I I really do and continue to be productive. Now look, that doesn't mean there's not gonna be strong disagreements on, hey, how much should be the the savings side, how much be the revenue side, of course.
But I thought was most important for today was to communicate very clearly to the people of the state, you know, where I stand on what I would consider to be fundamentals of what this budget's gonna look like, and particularly around how those two budgets are structured now in terms of volume of taxes and the wealth tax taking such a significant part of it. One let's see one one last one. Yeah. Go ahead. It's a good question.
You know, what I would say I've thought a lot about this. So it's a little hard to answer a a fair question. Right? It's a little hard to answer because it's so uncertain, right, what's happening at the federal level. Right?
It's if, for example, the federal government, you know, stop funding Medicaid funding at all, well, no, of course not. Right? We don't have that volume of billions and billions of dollars. You know, that said, as we've gone through this process and especially in recent weeks with the news coming from the Trump administration, you know, I think it's fair to say that, you know, I've gone from concern to alarmed by what's coming from the federal government, government. And that has only reinforced my already strong convictions that we need to budget very, very thoughtfully here to prepare us as best we can for what's coming.
Look. There are examples of, you know, right now, I'm so glad to see the AG's office, right, joined on the lawsuit on the public health funding, right, which they do amazing work. That quickly, the lawsuit's already there. Right? But look, it takes time, for example, to get an injunction even if you're right on the law.
If you're ultimately successful, cuts can happen and you're experiencing shortfall on dollars in the time it takes to get that injunction to stop it if you're successful. Having reserves can help us navigate that. If something truly draconian happen happens to allow the AG's office to do their excellent work, to challenge hopefully successfully if the federal government exceeds their authority. So, look, is there necessarily a dollar amount that I can guarantee preserves all of our core services for Washingtonians in face of potential federal cuts? I I can't say yes only because I don't know what's coming.
What I do know is, I guess what I'd say is I've had some conversations with members when I bring this up. They say, well, Bob, there's nothing we can do about it anyway if that happens. Look, that is not my perspective. Okay? I wanna be very clear.
That is not my perspective. It's quite the opposite. We may not be able to prepare perfectly for what's coming, but we can do a lot. And there are big decisions coming in the next few weeks that will determine whether we're at the mercy of Donald Trump, okay, from a fiscal standpoint or we have flexibility. And that is critical right now.
Sorry for the long answer to your question, but it's an important one and it's it's just difficult to answer just because it's so unknown and
@amuse - @amuse
DOGE: Why is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse such a huge critic of DOGE and Elon Musk? Turns out he's been funneling millions to an NGO that pays his wife millions. His wife isn't paid by just one government funded NGO but two including the Atlantic Council. The corruption is deep.
reSee.it AI Summary
You won't believe what I just found out. DOGE has released a shocking audit on Congressional expense accounts. AOC's office has been spending $1,200 a month of taxpayer money to lease a Mercedes-Benz. Additionally, Adam Schiff's consulting firm received $1.6 million from USAID last year, with no clear explanation. DOGE has reported these findings to the DOJ. Also, Whoopi Goldberg's $3 million federal diversity grant has been canceled, exposing yet another questionable project. The truth is coming to light, and it's a big deal.
@mcafeenew - John McAfee 🇺🇸 News
🚨 You’re not gonna believe this one… DOGE just dropped a bombshell audit on Congressional expense accounts—and what it uncovered is absolutely wild: 👉 AOC's office has been forking over $1,200/month of your tax dollars to lease a Mercedes-Benz. That’s right, luxury on your dime. Meanwhile… Source: https://t.me/+RMAJe-RQfZA1N2Q0 👉 Adam Schiff's "consulting" firm got $1.6 MILLION from USAID last year—and no one in D.C. seems to have the faintest clue what it was actually for. The whole thing reeks. DOGE didn’t sit on it. They shut the files down and sent everything straight to the DOJ. Oh, and it gets juicier... 👉 Whoopi Goldberg's $3 million federal “diversity grant”? CANCELED. Gone. Done. Another sham project exposed for what it was. The house of cards is crumbling. They never thought anyone would look. They never expected DOGE. And now it’s all unraveling. 🐶💥 Follow: @mcafeenew
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