Why does the closure of threats of layoff not scare this federal employee: NPR

While the federal government seemed to go towards a closure at the beginning of last week, Jenna Norton joined a press conference outside the American Capitol to urge legislators not to be intimidated by the threat of the Trump mass layout administration.

“As a federal worker, I am here to tell you that all the horrible things that would happen in a closure – closing programs on which the Americans count, damaging our economy, dismissing federal workers – all this already happens,” said Norton, program director of the National Institutes of Health, who spoke to his personal capacities alongside other civilians.

Note that the Supreme Court has largely enabled the Trump administration to move forward with its program, Norton called on legislators to intervene.

“Congress is the only chance that we have to stop the evisation of public services on which the Americans depend,” she said.

Now on leave, Norton continues to implore the members of the congress to reject a spending agreement that maintains the status quo. Instead, she hopes that they will use the time to assert their constitutional authority – their power of the bag – to regain control of public spending.

“They accepted a position of power and privilege to represent the American people,” said Norton in an interview with NPR. “If they are serious about it, they must get up and represent the American people and push a president who wants to be king.”

Break a light on what has already happened

Almost a week after closing, around 750,000 federal employees are on leave. Much more, including members of the US military, work without salary.

Meanwhile, President Trump, his director of the Russell Vought budget and other administration officials reiterated threats to mass layoffs and programs reductions, going so far as to announce federal projects largely affecting the States led by Democrats. Trump insisted that the layoffs were already underway.

“This is going on right now, and it’s because of the Democrats,” Trump told journalists outside the White House, without offering details on the departments that had launched endowment cuts.

NPR has not learned of any layoff due to the closure since Congress credits expired on October 1, although many federal agencies have filed reorganization and force reduction plans with the administration following an executive decree of February and subsequent guidelines which ordered them to do so.

Norton fears that it will be dismissed during closing or dismissed for speaking. NIH staff have already been invited not to speak with the media, and many of the Federal NPR employees have spoken of the current administration would not want to be identified by its name, fearing reprisals.

However, Norton thinks that she not only has the right to express themselves on questions of public interest, but she has the obligation to set up a red flag when she sees harm. And right now, she says, the situation inside the government is much worse than most Americans think.

“I have the impression of having this seat at the forefront for the destruction of our democracy. We see it in real time with a president who asks us to do things that are illegal and harmful to the American public,” she said.

In response, the White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the Americans were injured by Democrats – and federal workers like Norton who opposed the president.

“President Trump was elected by a resounding majority of the Americans to make the agenda he implements,” Jackson wrote in a statement at NPR. “Federal workers who actively resist the Trump agenda are actually working against the American people who elected the president.”

The financing of research on health disparities has been reduced

Norton’s work at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Renal Diseases, which is part of NIH, focuses on health disparities. She oversees research subsidies to determine why certain communities are more difficult by kidney disease than others and what can be done on this subject.

She notes that blacks are four times more likely to progress from the first stages of kidney disease in the final phase, where dialysis or transplant is necessary for survival.

She stresses that the development of interventions to improve health results save not only lives, but it also saves money in government. Anyone who needs dialysis is covered by health insurance at a substantial cost for taxpayers, says Norton.

And yet, at the beginning of this year, the Trump administration canceled hundreds of NIH subsidies as part of its purge of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through the government. Norton was informed that subsidies from his portfolio have been dismissed because they used certain terms that the administration had reported, such as “structural racism”.

The beneficiaries continued, and the American district judge William Young, a named of Reagan, fell on the side of them, judging the illegal layoffs.

“I have never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable,” said Young during a hearing of June 16, according to a statement of notes. “I have been sitting on this bench for 40 years now, I have never seen government’s racial discrimination like this.”

The Trump administration called on and finally asked the Supreme Court to intervene. Without having heard the arguments, a conservative majority in the court canceled the key part of the order of judge Young, concluding that the beneficiaries should have filed a complaint before the Federal Claims Court.

Lisposoffs to the targeted communication staff of the NIH

The mass layoffs of some 1,300 NIH employees announced in the spring followed a similar model. In the context of a broader decision, a lower court judge noted that the layoffs were probably illegal. Then, the Supreme Court intervened and allowed the layoffs to continue, for the moment.

This paved the way for an evisceration of the NIH political staff, which provides congress, and its communication teams – essentially, their bears to communicate with the public, says Norton. Without these colleagues, his team is unable to update their website to publish meeting minutes or research discoveries.

Norton says that she understands why the Trump administration would like to control information from agencies.

“Because information is power,” she said. “For me, it is not really a partisan question of the Democrats in relation to the Republicans. It is a question of democracy against autocracy.”

A reminder of his oath

On his left wrist, Norton wears a set of Taylor Swift style friendship bracelets. Instead of songs of songs or words, the bracelets set out “supporting the Constitution” and “NIH” with other federal agencies.

They were a gift from a former colleague worried about what’s going on in the government.

“They are only a little memory of our commitment to our ex -officio oath, which is to serve the Constitution and to serve the American people,” explains Norton.

They are also a daily reminder of the reason why she chooses to express themselves. It was not easy. She knows that many Americans do not share her vision of the current administration, including certain members of her own family.

“My parents voted for Trump, so I understand that people who support Trump are not bad people, and they want the same things I want,” she said, including things like financial stability and opportunities for their children.

Norton also wants her children to grow up in a world where they can speak freely. She is worried, it is no longer a guarantee.