During a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) questioned Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer about buyout offers at the department.
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00:00Mr. Hoyer. Thank you very much. Let's try to do a speed round here. Okay, uh-oh, here we go. You and I went over these on the phone. I'm going to ask you questions I asked you on the phone. Hopefully we have the answers all ready. I'm not going to make any promises just yet, but we're going to work together. I miss you on the seventh floor, by the way. We miss you every time I get in the elevator. I say, where are you? Where are you? That's where we spend most of our time, in the elevator. Okay, let's go quick. What are the changes to FTEs from January to now in the Department of Labor?
00:29I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I missed it. I missed it. What are the changes in FTEs from January to today? Yeah, due to litigation, I can't comment on that right now. Because there's been a stop on the DRO about any of what's happening in HR. So due to litigation, I can't. Is this part of the transparency and accountability program that the president talks so much about? Well, I promise you, I promise you, Congressman.
00:58The number is in litigation?
01:00Well, as through...
01:01Whether you legally did what you could do, whether DOES is legally done, that is in litigation. I didn't ask you that question. I said, what's the number now? I can't believe that's in litigation.
01:12Well, with the deferred resignations that have happened, I don't have a final number of FTEs currently at the Department of Labor as of now. I do not have that final number, but I will get it to you just as soon as we have the final number.
01:25Okay. Now, I asked you these questions on the phone.
01:28Yep.
01:29How many workers took the original buyout?
01:32Yeah, exactly. I don't have the exact number because they haven't all signed. It was offered to a lot through the Department of Labor, and I don't have the final number for you.
01:41But I promise you, I will get it to you as soon as I have the final number because not all have decided if that's what they want to do or not.
01:47And I will have my office brief you on it.
01:51So one of the things I want to know, if you have to find this out later, and I asked you on the phone, how many are still being paid but not working?
01:58Yeah, everybody who had chosen to be in the program, it was through the administration will be paid through, I think it's September 30th.
02:07I don't know. That's right. September 30th. Yes. That's correct. September 30th. Those who chose to do the program.
02:15That's very interesting. Those who chose. I don't know how many chose.
02:18I don't have the final number either. I really don't have the final. I'm not making it up. I don't have the final number. It was offered. Not all have signed back, and I don't have the final number.
02:26No, no, no. I didn't ask you how many were offered. How many signed up and are not working but being paid every day to do work for the American people?
02:34I don't have that final number, but I will get it to this entire committee.
02:38Well, I'm glad you'll do that, but I'm surprised because we had this phone call a week ago.
02:44But it changes. So I just don't have it, but when I do, I will get it for you.
02:48Well.
02:48Because people have an opportunity to take it as they go along.
02:51We aren't. Madam Secretary. Yes, sir. With all due respect. Yes, sir. We had a delightful phone call. Yes. And we gave you the exact questions I was going to ask you. No tricks. I'm not tricking you. No, you're not answering me either.
03:08How many employees were let go but asked to come back? I do not have that number for you today.
03:15We went over these a week ago. Yes. There's no point in having a conversation.
03:21We all know our time is short. If you don't ask your staff to give you these answers, this is not an opaque question.
03:32This is a question of how many people are now working in the Department of Education.
03:34Congressman, I will get you that number when we have the final numbers in place.
03:38I don't want the final number. I want now. That's what I asked about. Now.
03:43I know you can't give me the final number because it's going to be a moving number.
03:46Yes. So may I answer this for you that from my legal team, 45 days to confirm about 15,000 DOL employees and no one was fired and has come back.
03:59No one was asked to come back.
04:04There you go. Correct.
04:0615,000 DOL employees were gone?
04:08No, no, no. That's how many at the Department of Labor.
04:11How many are gone?
04:12How many are gone?
04:13And we'll have 45 days from the time to confirm those and then I will give you those answers.
04:18Yeah, I'm, listen, you know me, Congressman. I'm not here to play games either.
04:23I take this very seriously and I want to protect the American worker as it's subject to litigation, as we've gone through either the the DRPs or the reduction in force.
04:33I can't comment any further than that, but I will get you the information just as soon as I can.
04:37To your knowledge, was there any study made for DOGE or the Department of Labor that justified the removal of those who have been removed or asked to resign?
04:48Yeah, you would ask me that and I can answer this.
04:50I don't know of any study that was done.
04:54My premise is that they knew how to do it. They didn't know the consequences. We're going to find out. Let me close with this. A quote.
05:02We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them not to want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.
05:13We want to put them in trauma.
05:16Are you familiar with that quote?
05:17No.
05:19That's Russell Vogt.
05:23You are you have just talked about how we all want to be for labor, for workers.
05:28I absolutely do.
05:29What do you think that does to your workers at Department of Labor and throughout the federal government to talk about them that way?
05:35Well, I'm not familiar with that quote, but I can promise you this.
05:38I am for and every focus that I do every single day when I wake up is to focus on the American worker and I will continue to do so.
05:44Thank you very much.
05:45I look forward to the numbers.
05:48Mr. Clyde.