AMERICAN FED OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2873, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions. Lobbied in opposition to massive cuts to budget and staffing at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lobbied in opposition to significant reduction in force and elimination of the Office of Research and Development (ORD). Lobbied in opposition to cuts to funding and staffing, relocation and closure of EPA regional offices. Lobbied in opposition to cuts to funding and staffing at the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Lobbied in opposition to 139 EPA employees put on administrative leave for signing a letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin opposing cuts to employees and administrative budget and functions. Lobbied in support of strong language to support the Office of Research and Development at EPA in Senate Appropriations report language. Lobbied in support of National Science Foundation employees and opposed cuts to staffing and budget and retaliatory practices. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.

Staffing: Lobbied against use of contractors to replace VA workers. Lobbied against proposed 80,000 and subsequent 32,000 worker Reduction in Force at VA. Lobbied against President Trumps Presidential Memorandum, Return to In-Person Work. Lobbied the Trump Administration to exempt the VA from the Trump Administration Executive Order, Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs. Lobbied for oversight of VA worker exemptions from the federal employee hiring freeze ordered by President Trump. Lobbied in support of S.1068, the Putting Veterans First Act of 2025, which reinstates fired veteran employees, puts limitations on hiring freezes, and creates civil service protections for federal employees. Privatization: Lobbied against H.R. 1972, the Standardizing Treatment and Referral Times Act of 2025, which would establish that the period during which the referral of a veteran to a private provider remains valid begins on the day of the first appointment. This provision allows private providers to skirt timeliness requirements altogether by giving them an indefinite period in which they can provide services. Lobbied against H.R. 740/S. 275, the Veterans Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025. AFGE specifically opposes the provisions codifying the access standards, making veteran preference to go to a private provider a criterion for what constitutes best medical interest, and creating a three-year pilot program where veterans could access outpatient mental health and substance use services without referral or preauthorization. Lobbied against provisions in H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, that would have increased funding for community care by 50%, thereby diverting funding from direct care. Program Efficiency: Lobbied in support of the H.R.4077 Guarantee Utilization of All Reimbursements for Delivery of (GUARD) Veterans' Health Care Act, which closes a loophole that allows private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to collect premiums for health care while veterans receive free or low-cost care through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with taxpayers footing the bill twice. Quality: Lobbied against H.R.9438, the "No Wrong Door for Veterans Act," which eliminates the requirement that previous recipients of grants reapplying to the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program show evidence of efficacy. Scheduling: Lobbied to improve H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, which would require VA to create a scheduling program that would allow a scheduler to schedule appointments either within the VA or with a private provider in the Veterans Community CareProgram. VA Collective Bargaining Rights: Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 472/S. 124, the Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025. Lobbied in support of H.R. 932, the Protecting VA Employees Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2550/S. 2837, the Protect Americas Workforce Act as it relates to VA employees. Lobbied in support of H.R. 3261, the VA Employee Fairness Act. Lobbied in support of draft legislation, the VA Correct Compensation Act. Lobbied Members of Congress to urge Secretary Collins to exempt as many VA employees as possible from President Trumps Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs Executive Order 14251. VA Compensation: Lobbied in support of H.R. 493/S. 126, the "FAIR Act" to raise pay for federal employees at the VA. Lobbied in support of H.R. 491/S. 624, the "Equal COLA Act" to protect VA employees in FERS. Lobbied in support of H.R. 657, the "VA CPE Modernization Act." Lobbied in support draft legislation, the "Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act" and draft legislation, the "Law Enforcement Officers Parity Act" as it pertains to VA Police Officers. Veterans Benefits Administration and Board of Veterans Appeals: Lobbied for changes to and oversight of Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) employee performance standards. Lobbied for increased oversight and changes to performance standards for Legal Administrative Assistants in the VBA National Call Centers. Lobbied for comprehensive changes to internal VBA processes for claims, including changes to the VBA National Work Queue. Lobbied to require the VA to include VA employee input when making changes to the claims process, employee performance standards, and training for claims processors. Lobbied on the processing of complex claims within the Veterans Benefits Administration, including how it relates to Military Sexual Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and catastrophic injury claims. Lobbied on the specialization of claims processing for highly complex cases. Lobbied to prevent compassion fatigue for certain claims processors. Lobbied against contracting out of VA Disability Exams (C&P Exams) Lobbied for reforms to the VBA National Work Queue. Lobbied for oversight and improvements into VBA employee training. Lobbied on VBAs use of Performance Improvement Plans. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2303, the Board of Veterans Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 659, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act. Lobbied in support of parts of H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2137, the Review Every Veterans Claims Act. Provided commentary on H.R. 1741, the Veterans Appeals Transparency Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2701, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act. Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 3854, the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act. Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 3951, the Rural Veterans Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025. Lobbied for changes to draft legislation related to the use of Artificial Intelligence in the VBA claims process. Lobbed in support of Ramirez Amendment #1 (amendment in the nature of a substitute) to H.R. 3951, to affirm the right of VA Employees to collectively bargain. On July 22, 2025, AFGE testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Oversights and investigations at a hearing titled Counting the Money: Preventing Fraud and Abuse in VAs Bonus Payment Practices for VA Employees.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions. Lobbied to prevent new line speed waivers and reduce existing waivers to beef, poultry, or hog slaughter plants. Lobbied against further expanding the program of putting plant employees, not inspectors, in charge of quality control and contamination. Lobbied against cuts to FSIS's budget. Lobbied against closure, relocation, reductions in force and budget cuts to the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute on Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Lobbied House and Senate appropriators about FY26 appropriations. Lobbied the House and Senate support of a continuing resolution to maintain funding of government agencies in the absence of a full year FY26 appropriations package.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2837, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions. Lobbied Congress to require Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide safe staffing and workplace safety measures for correctional officers. Lobbied in opposition to augmentation and in support of full staffing, funding and workplace safety for correctional officers and all BOP staff. Lobbied for higher funding levels for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and continued prohibition of closure of minimum-security camps; lobbied for funding to hire adequate numbers of correctional staff; end the use of augmentation to compensate for lack of hiring correctional officer positions; alleviating overcrowding at high-security institutions; need to increase unit officer staff at high security institutions; and reduce the use of BOP contract prisons. Lobbied in support of H.R. 378 and S. 83, the "Thin Blue Line Act," which would make murdering a law enforcement officer an aggravated factor in sentencing for a capital crime. Lobbied in support of H.R. 1556 and S. 718, "Eric's Law," which would allow the empaneling of a new jury if a jury fails to reach a unanimous verdict in a trial involving the murder of a law enforcement officer. Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 2027 and S. 298 the Return SBA to Mainstreet Act to relocate 30% of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) headquarters staff and office space from Washington, D.C., to another location in the United States. Lobbied in support of S. 736, the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, introduced by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to crack down on the smuggling of contraband cellphones into federal prisons by upgrading the charge for such smuggling from a misdemeanor offense to a felony. Lobbied in opposition to removal of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550, the Protect America's Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied Congress on the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (H.R. 3838). Lobbied Congress on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (S. 2296). Lobbied in support of House NDAA Amendment Log 5206 that would not authorize funds to be appropriated to implement Executive Order 14251. Lobbied opposing Amendment #1146 to the H.R. 3838, the House National Defense Authorization Act, that would strike Section 1110 in the bill. Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 1995/S. 905, the Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act,. Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 759, the Federal Firefighters Families First Act. Lobbied is support of U.S. Code Title 10, Section 129a, General policy for total force management. Lobbied in support of incentives and policies in support of domestic shipbuilding. Lobbied in support of the Department of Defenses right to repair military equipment by requiring DOD agencies to only enter procurement contractors if the contractor agrees to provide fair and reasonable access to repair materials. Lobbied opposing efforts to privatize Department of Defense commissary services. Lobbied opposing Reductions in Force (RIFs) to civilian Department of Defense employees. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions.

Lobbied in support of the "DC Admissions Act," H.R. 51 and S. 51 to make the D.C. a state. Lobbied in support of passage of S. 1077 to prevent massive budget cuts to D.C. budget.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2837, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions. Lobbied against funding cuts of the meat and poultry inspection program. Lobbied against further expanding the program of putting plant employees, not inspectors, in charge of quality control and contamination. Lobbied against budget cuts to Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) full-time staffing given current vacancies of Food Inspectors and Consumer Safety Inspectors. Lobbied against budget cuts that lead to staffing cuts at the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute on Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Lobbied to prohibit funds from being spent to create a modernized beef slaughter inspection system or issue line speed waivers to beef, poultry, or hog slaughter plants. Lobbied against elimination, consolidation, reductions in force and budget cuts to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Service and FSIS positions across the country. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied against massive budget cuts and reductions in force and termination of probationary employees at U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Lobbied opposing cuts to USAID in rescissions bill. Lobbied against any potential RIF at USAGM. Lobbied against termination of probationary employees and elimination of the Voice of America at USAGM. Lobbied in opposition to USAID being eliminated.

Lobbied in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2837, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to restore collective bargaining rights at several federal agencies, including several DHS agencies, including USCIS. Lobbied in support of Discharge Petition 6 that would make in order H.R. 2550 / S. 2837, the Protect American Workers Act to restore collective bargaining rights at several federal agencies. Lobbied against the nomination of Paul Ingrassia to head the Office of Special Counsel. Lobbied against the nomination Charles Arrington to serve on the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Lobbied against S. 854, Risky Research Review Act Lobbied in support of S. 572, Shadow Wolves Improvement Act Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 1210, the Protecting Taxpayers Wallet Act Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 2249, the Preserving Presidential Management Authority Act Lobbied in opposition to H.R. 2174, the Paycheck Protection Act Lobbied against the confirmation of Scott Kupur to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget Lobbied against the confirmation of Eric M. Ueland to be Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget Lobbied in support of H.R. 493 and S. 126 the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act Lobbied in support of the "DC Admissions Act," H.R. 51 and S. 51 to make the D.C. a state. Lobbied in support of passage of S. 1077 to prevent massive budget cuts to D.C. budget Lobbied in support of H.R. 491, the "Equal COLA Act" for Federal Employee Retirement System beneficiaries' cost-of-living adjustment to be the same as Civil Service Retirement System benefits rather than arbitrarily cut by one full percentage point. Lobbied in support of H.R. 1835 the Model Employee Reinstatement for Ill-advised Termination (MERIT) Act to reinstate federal employees who were unjustly fired by Donald Trump and Elon Musks DOGE initiative that targeted federal workers. In addition to rehiring these workers, the MERIT Act gives them the back pay they deserve. Lobbied in support of H.R. 492 and S. 134, the Saving the Civil Service Act to prevent the politicization of the non-partisan civil service by limiting the conversion of federal jobs from the competitive service to the excepted service without congressional approval. Lobbied in support of H.R. 759 the Federal Firefighter's Families First Act to include mandatory overtime hours worked into the calculation of retirement benefits Lobbied in support of H.R. 1637 and S. 914 the Protect Veterans Jobs Act to reinstate veterans who were fired from their jobs a during the Trump Administration and DOGE purge of federal employees. Lobbied in support of H.R. 1989 the Protect Our Probationary Employees Act to ensure that if terminated probationary employees are reinstated, they will not need to restart their probationary period for the same job they previously held and can continue to do the important work of the American people. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2470 the COST of Relocations Act to require a cost-benefit analysis to be submitted to Congress to ensure that any attempt to move federal agencies is appropriately analyzed to guarantee it is in the best interest of the taxpayer and the agencys mission. Lobbied the House and Senate on H.R. 1 reconciliation opposing cuts to FERS and FEHB and changes to Title 5 workplace rules to pay for the bills tax cuts. Lobbied the House and Senate on H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, to oppose rescissions to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Lobbied House and Senate appropriators about FY26 appropriations. Lobbied the House and Senate on FY 2026 reconciliation opposing cuts to FERS and FEHB to pay for 2017 tax cuts. Lobbied against passage of H.R. 473, the "SHOW UP Act" and its provisions that would abrogate collective bargaining agreements. Lobbied against cutting services at federal agencies, pay and benefits of federal employees, Social Security and Medicare as a precondition of raising the debt ceiling. Lobbied in support of amendments to the House and Senate budget resolutions to restore collective bargaining rights. Lobbied on behalf of Social Security workforce on agency funding, the collective bargaining agreement, telework, and recruitment and retention benefits. Lobbied in support of H.R. 2086 and S. 997 the "Rights for the TSA Workforce Act to provide full title 5 collective bargaining rights for transportation security officers

Lobbied in support of H.R. 2086 and S. 997 the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 862/S. 1483, the TSA Commuting Fairness Act. Lobbied in support of H.R. 1159, the Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act. Lobbied in support of S. 1691, the Traveler Privacy Protection Act. Lobbied against S. 1180, the Abolish TSA Act. Lobbied against RIFs and termination of probationary employees at FEMA.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2837 the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied opposing cuts to pay and benefits in reconciliation instructions Lobbied in opposition to RIFs, termination of probationary employees, relocation and closure of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facilities. Lobbied to oppose closure of HUD facilities and transfer to National Science Foundation (NSF) facilities without adequate consultation with unions. Lobbied to oppose closure and consolidation of HUD offices and cuts to funding and reductions in force. Lobbied in opposition to retaliation against employees with disabilities and employees with reasonable accommodation. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.

Lobbied for funding, staffing and protection of collective bargaining rights for Department of Labor employees. Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2837, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.

Lobbied Congress in support of H.R. 2550 / S. 2738, the Protect Americas Workforce Act to rescind EO to eliminate federal collective bargaining rights. Lobbied for reclassifications of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Railroad Safety Inspectors to be competitive with private industry in the Railway Safety Act (H.R. 971) Lobbied for increased funding for railroad safety inspectors to 400 inspectors and to add new staff to carry out multidisciplinary safety audits. This represents all inspectors in Occupational Series GS-2121, including specialties of hazardous materials, motive power and equipment, operating practices, signal and train control and track inspectors as well as the grade crossing and trespasser outreach inspectors which are not in the series. Lobbied in support of adequate funding and staffing and support for NIOSH workers. Lobbied against government shutdown and RIFs.