Gov. Hochul hosts roundtable with federal workers impacted by DOGE layoffs
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul hosted a roundtable on Monday with a group of federal workers impacted by cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency.
Her message was if Elon Musk doesn't want you -- the state of New York does.
The meeting was held behind closed doors for the New Yorkers kicked to the curb by DOGE as they laid out their anxiety and fears.
"It's a time of high anxiety for these individuals, these public servants, who did nothing other than stay and many of them left the private sector because they feel so strongly about serving others," Hochul said.
Hochul announced an expansion of a recruiting campaign to hire former federal workers to fill more than 7,000 open positions on the state level.
Some requirements are being loosened to expedite the hiring process, including waiving certain test requirements.
The expanded initiative also includes the launch of digital billboards in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station and New York's Moynihan Station, as well as a new brochure for impacted workers and a new series of upcoming info sessions hosted by the New York State Department of Labor.
"Elon Musk and his clueless cadre of career killers know nothing about how government works, who it serves, and the tireless federal employees who keep it running," Hochul said.
New York state is not the only one scrambling to mitigate drastic cuts by the Trump administration. In Westchester County, they offered a possible solution to its soon-to-close Social Security office.
"It takes county space that could be used for other purposes and makes it available to the federal government so that we can retain the Social Security Administration hearing office in White Plains," Rep. George Lattimer said.
In New Jersey on Monday, Sen. Cory Booker also sounded the alarm about DOGE cuts.
"We're here today to make clear to Congressional Republicans, make clear to President Trump, make clear to Elon Musk, that you are coming after bread and butter everyday Americans," Booker said.
Booker also pushed back on proposed cuts to Medicaid.
"Because of what Donald Trump, Elon Musk and congressional Republicans are doing, Medicaid is slated to see cuts of up to $5.2 billion," he said. "Those kind of cuts would devastate our state."
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