WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Director of National Intelligence Lora Shiao to request answers about the Trump administration’s recent actions that have put our national security at risk by threatening and politicizing thousands of non-partisan jobs in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.

In a new letter, the lawmakers expressed alarm that the administration’s actions are eroding the federal government's merit-based civil service system—a system that has been in place for most of our nation’s history and has ensured positions are filled based on qualifications, not partisan political patronage. This poses significant risks to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

The lawmakers wrote, “During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued several directives that appear intended to politicize and demoralize the federal workforce, and which, if implemented, will erode the federal government's merit-based civil service system. The manner in which your departments and agencies have implemented these directives constitute a generational risk to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. As a result, we strongly urge both of you to take immediate steps this week to insulate your national security workforce from the effects of this dangerous campaign.”

Civilian federal employees play critical roles for our intelligence and national defense, from gathering intelligence to advancing military acquisitions. President Trump’s attempt to purge the federal workforce would result in the mass exodus of highly skilled workers, many of whom are sought after in other fields. Their swift departure will create a brain drain that would make the United States vulnerable to foreign threats.

“More than 46,000 military spouses work for the Department of Defense, and civilians make up 80 percent of its financial management and audit staff. In testimony to Congress last year, the Department of Defense emphasized the need to increase civilian personnel in the areas of ‘cyber, data, artificial intelligence, coding, and software,’” the legislators wrote.

They continued, “Intelligence community civilians are no less critical to protecting our nation. While much of their work is classified, these professionals provide analysis and warning on threats to the United States and its interests and risk their lives in secretive global operations that never see the light of day. In both communities, civilian personnel execute these missions cost-effectively, allowing the federal government to avoid more expensive contract personnel.”

Last week, over 2 million civilian employees, including many in the Defense Department and intelligence community, received an email from the Office of Personnel Management presenting an offer to resign from their job by early February while keeping their pay and benefits through the end of September. As the deadline looms, questions about the program remain, including whether the program is legal, what money will be used for deferred compensation, and whether or not the Trump administration will follow through on its promise. 

“Historically, your agencies have pursued analysis of important functions and issued decisive guidance prior to pursuing any workforce policies. In this instance, however, the Acting [Director] of National Intelligence has not promulgated any guidance to its workforce, creating anxiety and confusion among personnel looking for clarity. Meanwhile, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness has embraced the deferred resignation program in a memorandum to its personnel without exempting critical functions,” the lawmakers wrote.

The Trump administration’s federal hiring freeze and buyout offer impacts 3,948 federal civilian employees in Delaware, many of whom contribute to the safety of our nation and our communities.

You can read the full letter here.

Senator Coons is the Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.