The Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to whittle down the federal workforce have found favor with at least one Fairfax County elected official.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the only Republican on the county board, revealed earlier this week that he “fully” agrees that the federal government’s “size and scope” needs to be reduced, claiming that there’s a “broad consensus across America” in support of a downsizing.
“The federal government, much like the Fairfax County government, has been pursuing agendas beyond its scope and created bureaucracies that do not serve our citizens well,” Herrity said in a Feb. 10 statement. “While many government programs do good work, many do not accomplish the goals for which they were created and the government cannot be everything to every resident.”
In his statement, Herrity acknowledged that Fairfax County has a high concentration of federal workers and contractors who “deserve to be treated with respect and gratitude for their service.”
To help any residents “caught in a sudden transition,” as the White House moves to eliminate entire agencies and pushes thousands of workers to resign or risk getting fired, Herrity noted that the county has resources available, including:
- Job listings from the Economic Development Authority
- Employment resource centers
- A Coordinated Services Planning hotline for individuals in need of food, housing and other basic needs assistance
- Mental health services
Herrity said his perspective has been shaped by his experience as a business manager prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors in 2007. He has worked as a chief financial officer and chief operating officer for local government contractors and technology companies, according to his official bio.
“As a CFO and COO, I have had to do the very difficult work of reductions, restructurings and reorganizations for efficiencies and cost reduction,” Herrity said in his statement. “It is not easy or pleasant work but it can be done with respect of people’s service.”
In supporting federal worker cuts, Herrity, who is currently campaigning for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, echoed sentiments expressed earlier by many state-level Republican lawmakers, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his aspiring successor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
When asked to specify which parts of the federal government he believes should be eliminated, Herrity told FFXnow that “all agencies should be looked at for its efficiencies and areas that do not support or effectively accomplish” their mission.
“I am hoping that any action that is taken regarding our federal government employees and contractors are done in a professional manner,” he added.
Democratic supervisors reiterate support for federal workers
Herrity’s stance diverges sharply from Fairfax County’s other supervisors — all Democrats — who adopted recommendations for Congress in December that cited opposition to significant reductions in the federal workforce as a top priority.
Gutting the federal government “could have a devastating impact on the local economy,” seeing as the county is home to over 50,000 federal employees and businesses that have secured over $38 billion in federal contracts, the Board of Supervisors said in its federal legislative package.
Herrity voted against that package as well as the board’s adopted priorities for the Virginia General Assembly, but Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who chairs the board’s legislative committee, said in a statement to FFXnow that he’s nonetheless disappointed by his colleague’s statement:
“It’s disappointing to see Supervisor Herrity join Governor Youngkin in cheerleading the Trump Administration’s attacks on federal employees. In the past, Republican leaders like Bob McDonnell, Frank Wolf, and Tom Davis set aside their partisan politics to stand up for federal employees and Fairfax County’s economy.
While Supervisor Herrity clearly won’t stand up for his constituents who serve their country, the Board of Supervisors will. We will continue to advocate on their behalf and partner with our Congressional delegation to protect Fairfax County’s residents and economy.”
Though he didn’t directly address Herrity’s statement, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay reiterated the county’s official position opposing dramatic cuts to the federal government and commitment to advocating for workers and contractors in a newsletter released yesterday (Tuesday).
As directed by the board in November, county staff have been tracking actions by the White House since President Donald Trump assumed office on Jan. 20 to determine how the new administration will affect local residents and policies, McKay noted.
He advised federal employees to turn to the county’s all-Democratic Congressional delegation, including Reps. Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer and Suhas Subramanyam and Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, to stay informed.
“Fairfax County, as a local governing body, is limited in how we can fight back against this administration’s draconian mission to gut the federal government, but we are committed to that fight,” McKay wrote. “I am in regular communication with my regional counterparts and our representatives in Congress in discussions on what we can do to protect our residents.”
During its first weeks in power, the Trump administration has issued a flurry of executive orders and memos aimed at downsizing federal agencies. The directives have included a return-to-office mandate, a funding freeze that has been at least temporarily ordered to halt by the courts and an elimination of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The moves have upended a wide range of programs, from the military, housing and health to PBS and the Smithsonian Institute. More than 65,000 employees have accepted “deferred resignation” offers that allegedly will keep them on the payroll through September, though a deadline remains on hold pending a court ruling, according to Politico.
Accompanied by tech billionaire Elon Musk, Trump signed another executive order yesterday directing all agencies to develop plans for “large-scale reductions” and identify components that can be eliminated, though there are exceptions for those that deal with law enforcement, immigration and public safety, the Associated Press reported.
The Trump administration has already sought to shutter the United States Agency for International Development and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Led by Connolly, Democrats on the House of Representatives oversight committee sent a letter to Trump earlier this month demanding that his administration “cease your purge of non-partisan, civil servants … which will have catastrophic results for the American people who rely on our government for services and benefits.”
Photo via René DeAnda/Unsplash
