USDA Preparing to Fire Employee Who Appeared on MSNBC to Discuss Shutdown’s Impact on SNAP Benefits

[1srelluc]

MSN

An employee of the Department of Agriculture was told she would be fired thirty days after the government shutdown ends because she appeared on MSNBC, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, commonly referred to as food stamps, was among many government programs affected by the ongoing shutdown. The suspension of benefits was one of the most contentious issues as Republicans and Democrats sparred over how to move forward, and 25 states and the District of Columbia (a group of those led by Democratic governors and attorneys general) sued the USDA, arguing that the federal government had a legal obligation to fund food stamps and should be required to tap into USDA emergency funds to do so.

Ellen Mei, a program specialist with the Food and Nutrition Service and president of the union for the employees in her division in the Northeast, was among the USDA employees who were furloughed during the shutdown.

On Oct. 2, she was interviewed on MSNBC by Chris Jansing about the impacts of the shutdown. Jansing introduced Mei by saying she was speaking for herself and as president of her union, not on behalf of the USDA.

One day later, the Post reported, Mei was informed by a human resources department official at the USDA that she would be fired 30 days after the end of the shutdown in a message that accused her of discussing the agency “without prior approval.” She was given 20 days to contest her termination.

Everything Mei discussed in her four-minute interview “was publicly available through a variety of news articles and guidance from anti-hunger advocates, think tanks and organizations,” the Post noted, and the threat to fire her “has sparked concerns and outrage among other USDA workers and members of the Federal Unionists Network, who argue that the move is part of a concerted effort by the Trump administration to chill speech among federal employees.”

Why wait, she should have been terminated the next day.

Another dem operative removed from the .gov is always a good thing....Fire any friends in the .gov she might have too if they make as much as squeaking noises.

 

[gtopa1]

MSN

An employee of the Department of Agriculture was told she would be fired thirty days after the government shutdown ends because she appeared on MSNBC, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, commonly referred to as food stamps, was among many government programs affected by the ongoing shutdown. The suspension of benefits was one of the most contentious issues as Republicans and Democrats sparred over how to move forward, and 25 states and the District of Columbia (a group of those led by Democratic governors and attorneys general) sued the USDA, arguing that the federal government had a legal obligation to fund food stamps and should be required to tap into USDA emergency funds to do so.

Ellen Mei, a program specialist with the Food and Nutrition Service and president of the union for the employees in her division in the Northeast, was among the USDA employees who were furloughed during the shutdown.

On Oct. 2, she was interviewed on MSNBC by Chris Jansing about the impacts of the shutdown. Jansing introduced Mei by saying she was speaking for herself and as president of her union, not on behalf of the USDA.

One day later, the Post reported, Mei was informed by a human resources department official at the USDA that she would be fired 30 days after the end of the shutdown in a message that accused her of discussing the agency “without prior approval.” She was given 20 days to contest her termination.

Everything Mei discussed in her four-minute interview “was publicly available through a variety of news articles and guidance from anti-hunger advocates, think tanks and organizations,” the Post noted, and the threat to fire her “has sparked concerns and outrage among other USDA workers and members of the Federal Unionists Network, who argue that the move is part of a concerted effort by the Trump administration to chill speech among federal employees.”

Why wait, she should have been terminated the next day.

Another dem operative removed from the .gov is always a good thing....Fire any friends in the .gov she might have too if they make as much as squeaking noises.

DUMB!! She didn't KNOW that she as a Gov Employee was not allowed to speak to the press?

Greg

 

[Captain Creeper]

Cutting off stamps to a poor household where the only income is $700/mo. in Social Security Disability, and the household includes 7 kids and mama (who can't work because her brain don't work right) - THAT is a legitimate concern. For for the federal workers, who are paid way too much and have all sorts of benefits and 401K)s or TSPs, I have no sympathy for them. There was a delay in them getting 2 paychecks. If you cannot deal with that, with a Plan B in place, then you are a ******* loser at the game of life. As I have stated before, federal employment is a form of welfare.

 

[excalibur]

Time to scuttle Federal employee unions.

 

[Captain Creeper]

BTW, I note that this dummy is Chinese. CHINESE.

 

[1srelluc]

She can get a job doing happy endings nails.

 

[whitehall]

Did MSNBC single her out for an interview or did she volunteer? There is usually more to the story.

 

[Seymour Flops]

I work for a school district and we are told over and over to refer all inquiries by the press/media to our office of public information.

Never occurred to me that I could simply ignore that rule and there would be no consequences.