The firings are among the latest being carried out by DOGE, the Elon Musk efficiency effort
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has been hit with a wave of firings, apparently as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) drive to drastically reduce the size of the federal payroll.
The department oversees automobile safety and public transportation. The reports of widespread firings coincide with earlier indications that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was being subjected to a round of cutbacks despite a pre-existing shortage of air traffic controllers.
Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation Secretary, denied the firings jeopardized safety.
The FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go, Duffy wrote in a post on X.I will not rest until I return the Department of Transportation and its incredible employees to its mission of efficiency and safety.
The firings came without cause and were not based on performance or conduct, according to David Spero, national president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists.
Highway safety agency hit
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was also hit witih layoffs, according to Politico and other outlets. It is responsible for processing safety complaints about cars and other vehicles, including the electric Teslas manufactured by Elon Musk, who heads DOGE.
Layoffs have also been reported at DOT entities that oversee pipeline safety and maritime shipping.
The layoffs generally seem to hit those with less than a year's tenure, who in many cases are still regarded as probationary.
Consumer groups react
Consumer groups reacted swiftlyto the reports.
"NHTSA cannot oversee and promote automotive safety without world-class staff, many of whom have served behind the scenes for decades doing the day-to-day work of making the cars safer and making the agency run, said Daniel Greene, senior director of consumer protection andproduct safety at the National Consumers League.
"Ultimately, the American people will feel the effects of this unconscionable action through more unnecessary crashes.That means more death, more injuries, more broken families, and more shattered communities," he said.
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Posted: 2025-02-20 02:04:10
