When Elon Musk made the chain of the saw at a Republican conference during the weekend, he said he would come “for bureaucracy.” But the Democrats in Virginia say that its saw in a series of what could reduce the chances of Republicans in a different goal: the Rucemal Ruler’s Palace.
The Ministry of Governmental Efficiency in the Trump Administration (DOGE), an initiative to reduce up to $ 2 trillion of federal spending led by billionaire MUSK, has promised to demobilize federal workers to achieve this goal. Thousands From federal employees has already been launched, and more discounts took over: a note issued on Wednesday from the Administration and Budget Office and the employee management office that was taught to the heads of the agency to prepare for “Wide Discounts in effect” And developing reorganization plans by March 13.
Virginia, one of the few countries that hold this fall, will be impatient.
Why did we write this
The ruler’s race in Virginia is often seen as a harbinger of national political trends. This year, the repercussions of the Ministry of Governmental efficiency are hairstyles that vibrate the race as Republicans are trying to keep power and Democrats refer to great attention.
Commonwealth is home to one of the largest federal workforce in the country, Only behind Washington, DC, and California. Most federal employees and contractors live in the state in the country’s capital. But there is also a large military presence in the southeastern corner of the state, which can be affected by Defense Minister Beit Higseth The last demand For budget discounts. Democratic leaders say that the demobilization of workers will happen throughout the state, as friends and family members lose their jobs and affect the impact of domino through Virginia’s economy, just as the state elections are heated.
Virginia elections outside the year are always expected by politicians who have read the results as a report on a new presidential administration and Belweether in the mid -time elections. This year, the Commonwealth will be greatly analyzed again, as Democrats try to apostasy after the 2024 catastrophic elections and restore the ruler who lost it in 2021. This defeat came partially, because the democratic candidate, Terry McLev, has doubled in the Northern Virginia tax compared to the former President Biden.
With Dog, Republicans in Washington may have motivated a sub -group of voters in the neighboring country who can direct electoral standards for the benefit of Democrats. After all, more than 144,000 federal employees He lives in Virginia, while Republican Governor Glenn Youngin won in 2021 with less than 64,000 votes.
“We are accustomed to talking about national policy at the level of 30,000 feet where all this is theoretically, and we do not see and feel influence,” says Dominic Thompson, Executive Director of the Democratic Committee in Verfax Province. “[The firings] Not just something theoretical here in North Virginia. There are federal workers everywhere. … everyone here talks about this. “
Earlier this week, for example, Mr. Thompson was in Starbucks and said that he heard Parista talking about how one of her friends was expelled from the United States Agency for International Development. For Jeff Peron, President of Democrats of the Fols Church, workers’ layoff was a character: his sister moved her family to Dakar, Senegal, in the fall for a job with the United States Agency for International Development. It was officially placed on this week’s vacation.
At the ARLINGTON Democrats meeting in February, which was attended by a member of the Democratic Congress to discuss the discounts, approximately 400 people – more than five times the size of the usual crowd – attended personally or almost. Arlington is located via the Potomac River directly from Washington, and Arlington is home to about 28,000 employees and federal contractors.
Arlington Democrats hosted a municipal hall for federal workers last week in a local library, where they were invited to share their stories. It was a room standing only with a crowd of surplus in the hallway. “This goes beyond party lines, and certainly on the suburbs,” says Mr. Baker.
“Federal workers come out in large numbers looking for any kind of support they can find,” says Mr. Thompson. “Our party hears them, and they will remember that when November comes.”
“Virginia has jobs”
Virginia realizes what the discounts mean for their country: they have provided their own support to workers, while showing their support for Trump’s efforts and Dog’s efforts.
“I do not think that the federal government reduces wrong, and in fact, we need to move forward and lead efficiency in our federal government,” said Hakim Youngkin. In an event In Tysons Corner on Monday, when he launched a new work initiative in the state. “As a result of the leadership of these competencies, I expect some Virginia to lose their jobs.”
Through a new web site called “Virginia has jobs“The affected workers can“ move the federal government ”subscribe to virtual job shows and apply for unemployment advantages. The site also contains links to LinkedIn and indeed lists and advice on how workers update their CV. (“ Federal CV is often long … … aims to 1-2 pages for the private sector. ”)
“I am happy that President Trump reaches the bottom of all this,” said Lieutenant Winsum Earl Serz, who is running to be the Republican candidate for the ruler against the former Democratic Congress member Abeel Spanberger, in a campaign It happened In Pauling Green last week. Like Mr. Yongkin, I suggested that job opportunities in the private sector in Virginia can absorb the strike.
But Mrs. Earl Cers loyalty to Wug faced a challenge. Earlier this week, the former Ludone County delegate, Dave La Roc, presented papers for the challenge of Mrs. Irl will achieve Republican nomination, Promise “Vadoge” – “bold initiative” aimed at cutting waste and “limiting bureaucracy” at the state level.
Susan Swaker, head of the Democratic Party in Virginia, says Republicans do not provide more than just a “ideas and prayers” approach. Their response, through Virginia on Jobs, is something “the job trainer will be expelled”.
Democrats have drew the Republicans ’response as pragmatists coldly, and they are blindly followed the will of the president. A new announcement from Virginia House Democratic Assembly Entitled “Chaos”, which targets 12 Republican -controlled areas, shows repeatedly pictures of Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump. Democrats hope to adhere to or even build on the narrow majority they won in the Holly General Assembly in 2021, despite losing to the ruler.
But Mrs. Swaker attributes many democratic losses for the year 2021 for what she calls the “White House’s curse.” For decades, the party that won the White House continued to lose the Virginia elections for the ruler the following year, with the exception of 2013 when Mr. McAulife, a democratic, and the ruler.
Matthew Horte, Chairman of the Arming County Board, says Mr. McCalliv’s victory in directing the trend. Because of the dilemma in the budget in Congress, where Republicans such as Senator Ted Cruz tried to empty the sponsorship law at reasonable prices, the federal government closed for 16 days and about 850,000 federal employees The leave has been done. The closure was widely popular among voters – with 8 out of 10 Americans refuseIncluding the majority of Republicans – the Americans have documented with the Republican Party. Mr. MCAULIFE tied with his Republican opponent to close and won the race after only a few weeks.
Different reactions in starkly
But Mr. Hart says that he does not see frustration on the ground against Doug’s discounts as he did against the government in 2013.
Earlier this week, Mr. Hort asked his e -mail list, which includes approximately 12,000 students throughout the northern state of Virginia if they were, or anyone who knows them, were affected by discounts. “I received two email messages in response,” says Mr. Horte.
However, Mr. Hartat admits that his collections in the Arlington Democrats are likely to have more federal members. It may be true. A 2021 Studies from the National Office for Economic Research It was found that Democrats make the multiplicity of all professional civil service employees, with a democratic representation “in almost every section”. Between 1997 and 2019, about 50 % of federal employees were determined as democratic, while Republican federal employees share from 32 % to 26 %.
This gap can help explain various responses from local parties on the ground. While the Democrats in the Fairfax province collect stories from Virginia, which was launched or afraid through its website, where appearance On the home page, the local population guides with the participation of personal stories on how they are affected by “collective shooting for musk”, their Republican counterparts amaze that the Virginia employees’ discounts can already help Republicans.
“These discounts are certainly perceived in northern Virginia … but I believe that many people open their eyes by waste, fraud and ill -treatment discovered by Elon Musk,” says Katie Gorka, head of the Verfax Province, Republican Party. “If there is anything, it will help us.”
Federal employees offer unemployment
And all Republicans warn patience. November, in the political world, years from now.
Republican Republican Rob Bluxom, who represents part of the eastern beach in Virginia, says the current number of federal employees who applied for unemployment in the state ranges between 70 and 300, according to a report he received from the Perjinia Employment Committee. “Everyone is just giving” the true percentage of Virginia workers who will be affected, he says.
“Is 10 % the number? Is 50 % the number? We do not know. [the cuts]But I think it is too early that the sound of the alarm bells and I say that the sky is falling. “
Mr. Bloxom is the Vice -Chairman of the Emergency Committee established by the Speaker of the Democratic Parliament Don Scott “to study and understand the possible effects of discounts on the federal civil workforce” and evaluate any effects on the state budget issued by the General Assembly last week. Virginia, which relies heavily on income taxes for its budget, is also constantly required for a balanced budget. The General Assembly can be recalled again to pass a new budget if the expected revenue flows decrease to a large extent.
But he admits that there can also be political motives.
“It is the year of elections, so we may be summoned again to maintain the case raised in front of everyone,” says Mr. Bloxom.
