Metro area Congressman discusses deferred resignation with local workers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Local federal workers gathered to discuss what the deferred resignation proposals offered by President Trump mean for the metro area.

U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) says that on Thursday, Feb. 13, he heard directly from those impacted by the actions of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Rep. Cleaver said he held a listening session with federal workers and local labor unions in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District. They discussed what they feel are moves to undermine federal agencies and labor protections for civil servants.

“Civil servants are the backbone of our democracy. They keep our communities safe, our economy strong, and our government accountable,” said Congressman Cleaver.

Cleaver noted that the recent orders of President Trump have weakened worker protections, diminished services provided by federal agencies and threatened job security for many.

According to the Congressman, more than 40,000 federal workers live in the Fifth Congressional District with about 80,000 federal workers across the Kansas City region. Recent reports suggest that more than 20,000 federal employees nationwide have accepted a recent offer to leave their jobs. The Administration has not released further details about this.

Earlier this week, Cleaver said he joined 50 House Democrat peers to demand information about the impact of the deferred resignation proposal. Protections for workers who accepted have not yet been made clear.

In the letter to the Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel and Management, lawmakers called for a full breakdown of workers who have accepted the offer, and contracts that have been signed and relayed concerns about negative impacts.