Terminated federal workers have been organizing weekly protests inside the Capitol to share their stories and ask senators to defend them and the work they do on behalf of the American people.
On Tuesday, more than a dozen federal employees and contractors — some recently fired and others put on administrative leave — called out to senators in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building as the lawmakers hustled to catch an underground electric train to the Capitol.
The grass-roots lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, which started in late February and has ballooned over the last several weeks, is the latest attempt by civil servants to push back as the Trump administration and Elon Musk work to cull the ranks of the federal work force.
Among the fired workers at the Dirksen Building on Tuesday was Lexi Smith, a health communications researcher with the Food and Drug Administration, who learned at 5 a.m. that she would lose her job as part of mass layoffs within the Department of Health and Human Services. Her team, which was largely dismantled on Tuesday, was responsible for telling the public about any changes to a drug’s safety information, such as when a label is updated with newly identified risks or side effects.
“I came here because I don’t know what else to do,” said Ms. Smith, who lives in Washington. She learned about the protest from a colleague, who heard about it through a Signal group. “It doesn’t feel like anyone is going to stand up, and so I’m going to come tell my story to stand up for myself.”
The senators’ reactions were largely divided along party lines. Most Democrats who walked by the group stopped to listen, share encouragement and thank the workers for their service.
“I’m so sorry you all are going through this,” said Senator Ben Ray Luján, Democrat of New Mexico, as he shook hands with Ms. Smith and other workers in the hall. “Thanks for being here to visit with people and help everyone understand what’s at stake.”
Also among the fired workers was Matt Cutler, who until 5 a.m. on Tuesday worked for the Department of Health and Human Services, supervising the distribution of grants to state and local programs that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently, like Meals on Wheels.
When Senator Angus King, Independent of Maine, paused to address the group as he walked through the hall, Mr. Cutler recounted his story and said his main concern was that the firings would not result in more efficient government operations.
“You know, one of the problems with these firings is these people literally don’t know what they’re doing,” Mr. King told the group, who whooped and cheered in agreement. “They don’t know that they’re cutting Meals on Wheels, and when they find out, they’re going to come back and say, ‘We didn’t mean to do that.’”
Conversely, most Republicans approached by the workers on Tuesday ignored them. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee both stared straight ahead as they walked toward the subway past the workers without engaging. Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, looked at Ms. Smith but briskly walked away as she called after him and explained that she was fired earlier that morning from the F.D.A.
Senator Jim Banks, Republican of Indiana, reacted sharply when he was approached by Mack Schroeder, a probationary employee who was fired from the Department of Health and Human Services in mid-February.
“There are many people who are not getting social service programs, especially people with disabilities,” Mr. Schroeder said, capturing the interaction on video. “Are you going to do anything to stop what’s happening?”
“You probably deserved it,” Mr. Banks responded as he stepped into an elevator.
“I deserved it?” Mr. Schroeder asked. “Why did I deserve it?”
“Because you seem like a clown,” Mr. Banks replied as the doors closed.
The workers’ group plans to meet on Capitol Hill every Tuesday to try to meet with senators in their offices and in the halls. Dr. Peter Kerndt, who worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development until he was fired eight days after Mr. Trump’s inauguration, said he had come to the hill multiple times a week since, seeking to encourage more senators to speak out. He said that he was encouraged that workers kept joining the effort but that he wished none of them had to be there in the first place.
“It’s grown every week,” Dr. Kerndt said. “Every time, it’s another federal employee from another agency.”
