Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, along with 15 other senators, are supporting a group of Environmental Protection Agency employees placed on administrative leave. The employees had signed a "Declaration of Dissent," a document dated June 30, that expressed concerns about the agency’s direction under the current administration, according to the Office of the Senator.
Senator Ron Wyden and other lawmakers, including Chris Van Hollen, Cory Booker, Angela Alsobrooks, and Bernie Sanders, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin urging him to reinstate employees who were sidelined. The letter stated, "Federal employees are permitted to speak out on matters of public concern in their personal capacities, and even when they do so in dissent, the First Amendment protects their speech," and noted that "understanding that dissent improves policy outcomes, increases accountability, and improves morale," as reported by the Office of the Senator.
Senators have called on the Environmental Protection Agency to reinstate workers who were sidelined. In a letter, they wrote, "We urge you to restore these employees to active service immediately and affirm your employees’ ability to express their viewpoints without fear of retaliation, because debate and dissent are valuable policymaking tools." The senators said allowing open expression is important for the agency’s work, as stated by the Office of the Senator.
