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Politico
09-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump's layoff machinery cranks back to life
Employees at energy and environmental agencies are getting anxious as the White House prepares to resurrect its plans to slash the federal workforce. Agency restructuring plans are 'basically ready to go' after the Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to allow mass firings, a senior White House official said today. As Robin Bravender writes, that's unwelcome news for workers at more than a dozen agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation and the departments of Energy and the Interior. 'Some people are like, 'Oh God, it's gonna start tomorrow,' and other people are like, 'Maybe next week,'' said one Interior Department employee, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Staffers there are 'primed for a [reduction in force] at this point.' Interior was on the verge of announcing layoffs when a California district judge halted the administration's restructuring plans in May. Now employees are preparing for those plans to get back underway — with potential job cuts in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Office of Renewable Energy, Interior's civil rights division in Denver and a host of Bureau of Land Management state offices. At EPA, meanwhile, staffers in the agency's science office are the most apprehensive, said Nicole Cantello, president of a union local that represents employees in EPA's Chicago-based regional office. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has repeatedly signaled intentions to reassign staffers from the Office of Research and Development to other programs more focused on statutory requirements. One draft plan showed that the agency was considering cutting 1,500 positions from the office, and EPA posted hundreds of jobs to other offices on its internal job board in May. That plan 'was stopped in midstream, and now everyone thinks things will start up again,' Cantello told Robin. Energy Department staff also fear mass layoffs, after an internal document reviewed earlier this year by POLITICO's E&E News deemed only 56 percent of staff 'essential.' That leaves thousands of employees vulnerable to a reduction-in-force. Plan B: Federal workers told Erin Schumaker that they hope their unions and allies still have a card to play — namely, filing lawsuits against individual agency plans in the hope that lower courts stop layoffs. One of the Supreme Court's liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, suggested unions might have a shot at that approach. 'The plans themselves are not before this Court, at this stage, and we thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law,' she wrote. But the White House is interpreting the Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling as carte blanche to fire employees and dismantle programs. 'We see the ruling as the Supreme Court reaffirming that the president has complete authority to direct the executive branch, and with that, we will be reducing and simplifying the size of the federal government,' the senior White House official said. It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Emily Yehle. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to eyehle@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Zack Colman breaks down what the Texas floods signal about the country's readiness for the next natural disaster. Power Centers Politics of disasterUsing natural disasters as a political cudgel has long been a hallmark of President Donald Trump's political career. Now, Democrats are using those tactics against him, Scott Waldman writes. The White House has spent the days since Texas' deadly floods on defense, railing against 'disgusting' Democrats who are highlighting the administration's cuts to the National Weather Service. The floods were among the country's deadliest in decades, killing more than 100 people, including more than two dozen children. On Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats are calling for investigations or hearings on the impacts that the administration's cuts and layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other climate-focused agencies may have had on the floods, Andres Picon reports. Boost for dieselThe Trump administration plans to ax programs at EPA and DOE that help cities move away from diesel-powered transportation, writes Brian Dabbs. EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program loses millions of dollars in the GOP megabill, and would be zeroed out under President Donald Trump's fiscal 2026 budget proposal. Also on the chopping block in that budget proposal: DOE's Clean Cities and Communities program. Both programs provide grants to move fleets away from diesel — which produces toxic emissions — and toward alternatives like electric vehicles, biodiesel and propane. 'This 32-year-old Clean Cities program has weathered multiple administrations,' said Michael Staley, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition and a former Republican staffer on Capitol Hill. 'This is unleashing American energy. This is what President Trump should be all about and what he says he is about.' Europe's heatResearchers found that in 11 of 12 European cities, a heat wave in late June and early July would have been significantly less intense in a world without human-made global warming, Zia Weise writes. Extreme temperatures baked large swaths of the continent in late June and early July, exposing millions of Europeans to dangerous levels of heat. Of the 2,300 additional fatalities linked to high temperatures, around 1,500 of them can be attributed to global warming, scientists estimated. In Other News Gas exports: Saudi Aramco is in talks to purchase liquefied natural gas from Commonwealth LNG's export terminal in Cameron, Louisiana. Fuel needs: A shortage of diesel fuel threatens to raise transportation and heating costs. Refineries are operating nearly at full tilt, but diesel supplies have yet to increase. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Texas has identified $50 billion in flood control needs. But lawmakers have devoted just $1.4 billion to address them. Officials have vowed to take action after floodwaters ravaged central Texas, killing more than 100 people. Trump's nominee to head NOAA pledged today to fully staff the National Weather Service. Neil Jacobs' comments come after catastrophic Texas floods triggered criticism over the president's workforce cuts. New research shows that air pollution may be worse near electric vehicle chargers because nearby power cabinets kick up fine particulate matter. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to benefit Nebraska immigrant ‘Dreamers' squashed after Trump order
A Nebraska bill that would have benefited immigrant DACA recipients won't move forward, sponsors said. Shown here, supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Robin Bravender/ States Newsroom) LINCOLN — A proposed Nebraska law that had bipartisan support and would have benefited immigrant 'Dreamers' has been crushed under the weight of a Trump administration threat that the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid if it is enacted. Legislative Bill 299, in part, sought to align Nebraska with what advocates said already had been the practice of most, if not all, other states: allowing immigrants who have legal permission to work in the U.S. but lack permanent residency access to the unemployment insurance benefits their employers pay into. Before the bill's sponsors backed off Thursday, LB 299 had cleared a few key hurdles, including a March 6 vote by the Legislature's Business and Labor Committee that poised the measure for debate by the state's full lawmaking body. But a Feb. 19 executive order from President Donald Trump titled 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders' has since come into play. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner withdrew her name Thursday from the bill. Co-sponsor State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she saw no alternative but to drop the effort this year. Proponents said they were maddened by the latest twist for the proposed law that had gained support from a range of business and civic groups. A leader of the religious coalition Omaha Together One Community told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that its members are 'outraged.' 'The fact that the federal government would swoop in and block a bill that clearly represented the will of Nebraskans is a blatant insult to our state and should not be tolerated,' said Kathleen Grant. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's spokesperson, Laura Strimple, said Friday that the governor was pleased with the recent turn of events. 'Governor Pillen strongly opposes giving taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens and is pleased the Legislature will not act on this bill further this session,' she said. LB 299 sponsors said the bill primarily would have impacted so-called 'Dreamers,' who grew up in the U.S. after being brought here illegally as minors by their parents and who obtained legal permission, under the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to work and live in the country. DACA recipients don't have permanent residency, and the program has been challenged in court. LB 299, they said, also was designed to benefit asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and others with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted when returning to a person's home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war. While advocates have mostly focused on opening the door to unemployment benefits, the bill called for 'eligible aliens' who are employed in Nebraska to have access to the same public employment benefits offered to any other similarly situated employee, with a few exceptions. Access included participation in certain public retirement and deferred compensation programs. There's no way I can fight a threat like that. – State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha The 6-0 legislative committee vote that pushed the bill to the debate stage came after state and federal labor officials had resolved what Ibach described last week as a 'technical' problem with the bill. The concern was raised during a Feb. 10 public hearing. Nebraska Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber told lawmakers that LB 299, as then drafted, could cost the state more than $400 million in federal tax credits. She said the original language was too broad, created a new state definition for 'eligible alien' and would allow benefits even if the immigrant lost legal authorization to work in the U.S. Ibach and Juarez believed that the path had been smoothed — until, they said, a federal labor official reached out to the state Labor Department and Pillen's office this week, bringing up the Feb. 19 executive order. Juarez said she was caught off guard and was told that millions of dollars were at risk. 'There's no way I can fight a threat like that.' Thurber, in a statement to the Examiner on Friday, said that while an amendment addressed an initial concern, 'the situation has become complicated with recently proposed federal actions.' She said, for example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on March 10 issued a proposed rule removing DACA recipients from the definition of 'lawfully present' for the purposes of eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. 'This coupled with the executive order from President Trump … makes it clear that extending benefits to illegal immigrants, including DACA recipients, is in direct conflict with federal policy.' Thurber said the bill 'poses significant risk that Nebraska's unemployment insurance system could face consequences if it goes against federal directives' aimed at illegal immigration. The Trump order, citing a 1996 federal law, said the law 'generally prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.' The directive gave federal agencies and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, 30 days to identify federally-funded programs that 'permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit.' Ibach said she retreated from LB 299 after Pillen's staff alerted her to the executive order and potential fallout. 'We were disappointed but thankful the Governor's Office called our attention to the reality of how LB 299 was going to be framed going forward,' she said. Nick Grandgenett, an attorney with Nebraska Appleseed, views the executive order as applicable to federal public benefits and said the proposed legislation pertained to state employment benefits. 'It really is outside the scope of that executive order,' he said. But adding the Trump order to an already complex marriage of immigration and employment systems muddies the waters, he said. 'I don't think there is truly a problem with the bill,' Grandgenett said. 'The confusion is kind of winning the day.' State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said the situation signals trouble for Nebraska. She characterized LB 299 as an important bill with bipartisan support and challenged Nebraska Republican officials at all levels of government to stand up. 'When we have people in leadership not standing up for vulnerable populations like those covered in this bill, then we are going to be in a really bad place,' she said. Representatives of organizations such as the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nebraska Catholic Conference, and the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities spoke in support of the bill during the public hearing. The alliance is a coalition that includes labor unions, hospitals, banks, cattlemen and pork producers. Ibach sees the effort as dead for now, unless labor officials can find a path forward. She said she'd continue to work on immigration and DACA reform. Juarez said she had made LB 299 her priority bill because she felt strongly that the targeted immigrant populations working with U.S. authorization deserved access to benefits — and that Nebraska businesses needed their talent. She said she is left 'extremely frustrated,' but won't give up and hopes for a revival during a different legislative session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to open unemployment benefits to immigrant ‘Dreamers' advances to legislative debate
A bill advanced to debate by the full Legislature would align Nebraska with other states in allowing Dreamers, DACA recipients, access to unemployment benefits. Shown here, supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Robin Bravender/ States Newsroom) LINCOLN — Nebraska is a step closer to joining other states in allowing 'Dreamers' — and other immigrants who have legal permission to work in the U.S. but who lack permanent residency — access to unemployment insurance benefits. The Legislature's Business and Labor Committee, despite concerns raised during a previous public hearing, voted last week to advance Legislative Bill 299 on to full debate by the Legislature. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, who introduced the bill along with Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, said the U.S. Department of Labor had flagged a 'technical' problem with language in the initial draft, which put federal funding at risk. She said federal and local labor officials worked to resolve the issue. 'Once that was fixed, the committee moved to advance it to the floor for debate by the entire Legislature,' Ibach said. 'Nebraska is the only state that does not allow legal work authorized immigrants to collect unemployment and retirement benefits that they have paid into.' The previous Feb. 10 public hearing on LB 299 drew testimony that was overwhelmingly in favor of the bill. Among those who spoke were Nebraska Dreamers, immigrants who grew up in the U.S. after being brought to this country as minors by their parents and who qualified for the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Those Dreamers, under current Nebraska law, would not be able to receive unemployment benefits, despite that they work with proper authorization and that their employers are required to pay unemployment insurance taxes on their behalf. In addition to Dreamers, others who would benefit from LB 299 are asylum-seekers who have been granted work authorization while their requests are reviewed and those with Temporary Protected Status, which is granted when returning to a person's home country is unsafe due to natural disaster, extraordinary conditions or war. Nebraska lawmakers hear support for opening unemployment insurance to immigrant 'Dreamers' The lone opponent who testified during the public hearing, interim Nebraska Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber, noted the now-addressed problem that had been raised by federal officials. She said more than $400 million in federal unemployment tax credits was at stake because the language was written too broadly, and reached beyond certain federal requirements. State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln challenged that at the time, saying: 'I find it really hard to believe that we in the state of Nebraska can not get it right like all the other 49 states have done to make sure we are in conformity.' A similar bill introduced in 2021 failed to pass into law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
