Federal agencies are told to blame Democrats for a shutdown : NPR

The Trump administration accuses the democrats of the likely closure of the government of internal communications of the Federal Agency, as well as at least one public web, that, according to experts, they may become a violation of federal laws on ethics.

Bright red banner and pop-up window message This appeared on Tuesday on the website of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development warns: “Radical left will close the government and apply a huge pain to the American people if they do not receive their wishes in the amount of 1.5 trillion dollars. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open to the American people. ”

Employees of several agencies and office departments received emails on Tuesday from the Office of the White House management and budget. Many general screenshots of these emails with NPR or confirmed the text of the message they received. The reports say that any interval in state funding will be “forced by the democrats of the congress.”

“President Trump opposes the closure of the government and decisively supports the adoption of the HR 5371, which is a pure constant decision to finance the government until November 21, and has already made the House of US representatives,” the report said. “Unfortunately, democrats block this constant resolution in the US Senate from unrelated political requirements. If the democrats of the Congress retain their current position and refuse to adopt a pure constant resolution in order to maintain financing the government until midnight on September 30, 2025, federal funding will be held. ”

The message continues: “The agency has plans for unforeseen circumstances to perform an orderly shutdown of actions that will affect any intervals of allocations forced by the democrats of the congress.”

Similar messages were received by employees in the departments of the internal affairs, trade, labor, state, treasury, justice, agriculture, health and social services, the administration of social security, the administration of general services, the National Administration of Oceanic and Atmospheric Resources, the Commission on Securities and Exchanges, the management of personnel and the National Council for Labor Relations, according to screening, sharing with the screening, sharing with NPR.

Republicans control both chambers of the congress, but We need democratic support In the Senate, in order to establish any state funding.

A statement by the Department of Veterans also used a sharp partisan language, which stated that “radical liberals in Congress” would be to blame for the fact that the services will not be available during the closure, such as consulting measures and the closure of regional offices.

“Radical liberals in the Congress are trying to close the government to achieve their crazy fantasy about open borders, a“ transgender ”for all and men competing in women's sports,” said the press -secretary of VA Pete Kasperovich in his statement. “If they achieve success, they will stop critical programs for veterans and help.”

Health care for veterans will not be affected and V.A. A plan for unforeseen circumstances It notes that about 97% of its employees will not fall out.

Emergency bells for ethics experts

The inclusion of open political messages in the communication of the Federal Agency raised immediate alarms for some federal workers and ethics experts. They said this could break Hatch actWhich prohibits civil servants in the executive branch in most political activities in federal buildings or on duty.

“This correspondence by officials of the federal government may be considered a violation of the Luke law,” Michael Fallings, partner of Michael Fantings, a partner of Tully RinCkey, and a law firm for employment, said in his statement. “Hatch law prohibits participation in political activity, while in official quality, including communication, which contains protection against the political party. Here, while unilateral democrats probably do not represent a violation, a clear accusation of the Democratic Party of disconnection and a “link to radical left” may be a violation. ”

“The Ethics Code requires that federal employees serve the American public impartially, without taking into account their political views. This message may not technically violate the Hatta law no less, it does not play for certain candidates and does not weigh the elections, but this, of course, violates the spirit of this law, ”said Donald Sherman, the Executive Director and Chief Consultant for Liability and Ethics in Washington, is not a liberal group.

“Closing will lead to stress for the public, regardless of political affiliation. The work of the agency’s leadership is currently to ensure non -partisan service to its voters, and not politicize the situation and blame political enemies, ”said Sherman.

“We simply agree that the Hatte law is not invalid,” said NPR, one of the federal workers who asked for anonymity because they are afraid of retaliation from the Trump administration for what he had expressed. “Nothing matters.”

Sent on behalf of the White House

The high partisan language from the Trump administration also differs from the one used by other administrations during previous disconnections.

On the eve of the closure of the government, which lasted more than two weeks in 2013, then President Obama A letter is written federal employees This thanked them for their service and reproached the congress, which “could not fulfill its responsibility” in order to approve the cost plan without mentioning the Republicans.

“This closure was completely preventive,” he wrote. “This should not have happened. And the House of Representatives can put an end to this as soon as it followed the leadership in the Senate, and finances your work in the United States government, without trying to attach very conflicting and partisan measures in the process. ”

“This type of e -mail, informing us of a potential shutdown, is not new, but the tone and accusation of one political party are definitely unusual,” said a personnel department who requested anonymity from a fear of repression.

Messages on Tuesday were sent by the agency’s leadership, but in some cases it was clear that they were sent at the direction of the White House.

“The management and budget management asked us to send you the attached message about potential omission in financing,” the NLRB letter said to NLRB employees. The National Council for Labor Relations refused to comment.

“This message was issued under the leadership of the Office for Management and the Budget and in accordance with their protocols,” said the representative of the Department of Internal Affairs in the NPR statement.

“The reality is that the Trump administration wants to keep the government open, so HHS, including CDC, was able to fully protect the health and well -being of the public. On the contrary, the democrats of Congress threaten to close, which will affect the aid of millions of Americans. We will direct you to OMB for additional comments, ”said HHS director Andrew Nixon.

Management and budget management did not respond to a request for a comment.

The message for employees of the Department of Labor was unwritten by leadership and was sent from the general email address that does not accept the answers, said one of the employees of the department, who requested anonymity from the fear of repression.

In the social security administration, the email was received from the commissioner Frank Bisanyano, according to an employee who asked for anonymity from the fear of compensation.

“This is mainly read as an email of the campaign,” the employee said.

Departments of labor, housing and urban development, trade, justice, agriculture and treasury, centers for the control and prevention of diseases, social security management, the National Administration of Oceanic and Atmospheric Management, the administration of general services and personnel management did not respond to comments. The Securities and Exchange Commission refused to comment.

Federal employees are on the verge of negotiations this week, since the White House threatened to dismiss some federal workers During the disconnection, and not temporarily the thickening of workers, as is usually done.

QUL Lawrence from NPR and Tamara Kit contribute to reporting.

Is there any information that you want to share about closing or other changes in restructuring in the federal government? Contact the authors by signal. Shannon Bond Located in Shannonbond.01, Jenna Maklaflin Located in Jennamelon. 54, and Stephen Fowler Located in Stephnfwlr.25.