WATCH: Rep. Gabe Vasquez Condemns Federal Employee Firings in House Floor Speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez took to the House floor to denounce the mass firings of federal employees and funding freezes that are devastating families and communities in New Mexico and across the country.

WATCH: Rep. Gabe Vasquez's Floor Speech

Speaking directly to the human toll of these reckless decisions, Rep. Vasquez shared the stories of hardworking New Mexicans who have lost their livelihoods due to the administration’s sweeping dismissals. These cuts are hurting our rural communities and threatening local economies, public safety, and essential services.

“These aren’t just numbers—these are real people, real families, who have dedicated themselves to public service,” said Rep. Vasquez. “They deserve better than to be discarded without a second thought, all while the Republican majority pushes a budget that prioritizes tax breaks for millionaires over funding for wildfire prevention, public lands, and veterans’ services.”

Among the federal employees affected in the United States:

• More than 2,400 workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs were fired, impacting the care for those who have served the country.
• Thousands of Department of the Interior employees, including 800 from the Bureau of Land Management and 1,000 from the National Park Service, crippling conservation efforts and threatening tourism revenue in New Mexico.
• U.S. Forest Service staff, key to wildfire prevention and public land access, were also let go at a time when fire season looms large over the state.

New Mexicans shared firsthand accounts of the impact:

• Jason, a former National Park Service worker in Grants, saw his career cut short despite receiving outstanding performance reviews, forcing him to consider leaving his community.
• Devrie, who works with Friends of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, fears further job losses will devastate Socorro’s tourism-driven economy.
• Madison, a probationary federal employee in Carlsbad, was fired just months after the government spent nearly half a million taxpayer dollars training her and her colleagues.
• Claudia, a former Carlsbad Caverns National Park employee, questioned how eliminating low-wage public service jobs could possibly contribute to solving the debt crisis.

“These firings aren’t just cruel—they’re short-sighted and reckless,” Rep. Vasquez continued. “We should be investing in our workforce, in the people who protect our public lands, serve our veterans, and keep our communities safe. Instead, this administration is gutting the very services that make our country stronger.”

Rep. Vasquez urged his colleagues to reject these cuts and fight for the federal workers who power America’s essential services. He vowed to continue advocating for the restoration of these jobs and to hold accountable those responsible for these harmful decisions.

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