FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Contact:
Tim Whitehouse (240) 247-0299 [email protected]
We’re Entering Unprecedented Territory With This Shutdown
Trump Likely To Use It To Consolidate And Abuse Power
Statement of Tim Whitehouse, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, on the government shutdown:
“Buckle up, because we’re entering unprecedented territory. This shutdown is not just a budget standoff – it’s being weaponized to consolidate power in the Executive Branch at the direct expense of the American people. Federal workers and the programs they run – from safe food and clean air to disaster response and park protection – are being turned into collateral damage.
“One of the most alarming moves is the administration’s attack on Inspectors General. By cutting off funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, furloughing staff, and halting oversight functions, the administration is dismantling one of the last independent checks on abuse of power. At the same time, senior officials like Pete Hegseth are openly pledging to neuter the inspector general process itself – dismissing anonymous complaints, shutting down repeat complainants, and casting whistleblowers as ‘ideologues’ or ‘poor performers.’ These are not reforms; they are a blueprint to silence accountability and shield corruption.
“The administration isn’t hiding its intent – it’s telling Americans in plain language that it wants to silence whistleblowers and dismantle oversight.
“The result is a dramatic, instantaneous shift in the separation of powers. While the purse is empty, the Office of Management and Budget is seizing the power of the purse from Congress. By prolonging this shutdown and inserting poison pills into negotiations, the administration can unilaterally decide which programs live or die – flattening protections for workers, public health, and our environment under the guise of fiscal crisis.
“For federal employees, this means more unlawful RIF threats, more uncertainty about their livelihoods, and a growing sense that their service to the public is being weaponized against them. For all Americans, it means weaker safeguards, less oversight, and a government increasingly serving one man instead of the people.
“For more than 30 years, PEER has defended whistleblowers and exposed corruption. We will stand with federal workers and fight back against this lawless power grab that undermines both accountability and democracy itself.”
