New York Governor Kathy Hochul convened a roundtable discussion on Monday with federal employees recently dismissed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, highlighting the personal impact of the widespread job cuts implemented under the administration’s initiative to reduce government bureaucracy.
Building on the “You’re Hired” program she introduced last week, the governor, a Democrat, launched a new hiring initiative aimed at connecting displaced federal employees with job openings across New York State.
“Elon Musk and his clueless cadre of career killers know nothing about how government works, who it serves, and the tireless federal employees who keep it running,” she said. “Here in New York, we don’t vilify public servants, we value them and their efforts. So when DOGE says, ‘You’re fired,’ New York is ready to say, ‘You’re hired’—and we’re making sure talented, experienced federal workers know about the many opportunities available in our state workforce.”
As part of the effort to reach impacted workers, digital advertisements were placed in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station, with billboards appearing both there and in Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan. The outreach campaign officially launched on Monday.
One of those hit by the job cuts is Luke Graziani, a longtime public servant and military veteran from New York who lost his position at a VA hospital in the Bronx.
“After my two decades of military service, including four combat tours, I never imagined that one day I’d be terminated from my job at the VA and treated like nothing more than a number in a spreadsheet,” Graziani said. “I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for providing this forum for us to share our experiences on behalf of so many federal workers who are being thoughtlessly tossed aside despite their tireless efforts to serve the American people.”
Other affected employees were also present at the discussion but chose to keep their identities confidential due to concerns about potential repercussions.
Since taking office, Musk’s administration has carried out sweeping dismissals of federal employees, impacting thousands within just the first month. While no definitive count has been released, the number of terminated workers continues to grow.
These layoffs are being felt far beyond the nation’s capital, despite Washington, D.C., and its surrounding areas accounting for about 20% of the 2.4 million civilian federal employees. With the vast majority—more than 80%—residing in other parts of the country, communities nationwide are experiencing the effects of the cuts.
Hochul emphasized that such mass terminations not only destabilize workers and their families but also weaken vital government services. She warned that losing experienced civil servants translates to lengthier wait times and diminished access to critical programs that millions of Americans depend on.
The governor’s efforts to recruit laid-off federal employees come as she continues to push back against federal budget cuts targeting social support initiatives.
Over the weekend, she spoke at a rally at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside, Queens, where she stood alongside young patients and their families, calling on congressional Republicans to reconsider their proposed reductions to Medicaid and Social Security.
{Matzav.com}