Since Trump took office in January, his regime began its slash and burn policy — attacking many essential government programs. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accelerated this, firing thousands of workers without notice. Approximately 50,000 federal workers from dozens of government agencies have been illegally fired or pushed to take early retirement. Approximately 225,000 more federal workers are under threat of being fired. Some court decisions have slowed the layoffs. But a new Supreme Court order now seems to allow many of these threatened firings to be carried out.
Of course, there is inefficiency and waste in the government, from the federal to the local level. But these attacks have nothing to do with efficiency, unless it’s how efficient it will be to pass more of our tax dollars on to the billionaires. In addition to tens of thousands of federal workers thrown out of work, the elimination of federal programs means the elimination of important local programs and the loss of jobs of local workers who run those programs.
One example is the impact on the Department of Education. Trump ordered that the $6.8 billion dollars that were to be sent out by July 1 be frozen. That has meant that the school districts that rely heavily on this money, especially districts serving low-income families, will be hit hardest. More than 600 school districts lost $1 million each for their summer programs. Programs that allow children to improve their academic skills, as well as have the opportunity for supervised recreation while their family members are at work, are the most impacted. It also means the firing or layoffs of thousands of education workers who are the backbone of these programs.
The cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services workforce have been drastic. Around 10,000 workers took buyouts or retired when they saw what was coming. The Supreme Court has okayed the firing of 10,000 more. That is about 25% of its staff. This means the elimination of programs that range from providing mental health services, to the testing of well water in rural areas, immunizations for children, and health research at universities.
These cuts have taken place before the new “megabill” further slashes these and other programs. Over the next decade, at least 11 million people will lose their Medicaid health coverage, and another 20 million will lose some or all of their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The impact of these cuts won’t only affect those who rely on those programs. An estimated 880,000 jobs could also be lost in healthcare fields, reducing access to medical care for many, especially in rural areas. As the cuts to SNAP kick in, an estimated 143,000 jobs in food production and distribution could be lost. That doesn’t include the impact on farmers, especially those on small farms.
These cuts are an attack on the entire working class. Millions will either lose essential services or lose their jobs. And those who still have jobs will be under increasing pressure to work harder, and face continued attacks on wages and benefits.
That’s the future they are holding out to us. And no matter what the Democrats say, the elections in 2026 won’t solve this. These benefits weren’t handed to us by politicians. They were won in response to pressures from working people – not at the ballot box.
We have seen an angry response in the last months, expressed in the thousands of demonstrations and protests around the country in big cities and small towns. There have also been some strikes. In April, the largest public workers union in Los Angeles went on a two-day strike with more than 50,000 halting work. More recently, 9,000 city workers in Philadelphia struck for more than a week. Workers at Republic Services in Boston went on strike and have been joined by other workers across the country. Workers picking up refuse in least 25 cities across northern California have refused to drive their trucks across the picket line at a large landfill. Teachers everywhere are organizing for what lies ahead this fall.
There is a growing resistance. We need to support those already taking action and also build resistance wherever we are. We don’t know what could ignite a massive response on the part of millions. What we do know is that we need to be organized. What happens in the future is up to us. We need to act — now!
