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Religious leaders gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday and pledged to fight on behalf of the growing number of federal workers who are being fired or forced out of government jobs.
The Coalition of Concerned Clergy is made up of religious leaders from a wide range of faith-based organizations at the state, regional and national level.
Clergy members said they feel they have a moral obligation to speak out for the dignity of federal workers who are losing their jobs at unprecedented speed due to the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency,” a team tasked by President Donald Trump with slashing federal spending
“We come here today to stand against Elon Musk and DOGE and their inhumane treatment of our government workers,” Josephine Mourning, with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said.
Rev. Keith Byrd is the pastor of historic Zion Baptist Church in Northwest D.C., which has a congregation that includes a large number of federal workers.
“We’re going to protest at every turn, at every executive order, for issue, the church will be here,” Byrd said. “And we will be holding this government, the elected officials and particularly this president, accountable.”
Rev. George Gilbert Jr., with the Center for Racial Equity and Justice, organized Thursday’s news conference.
He noted that, along with federal workers, federal contractors are also being hurt by the DOGE reductions.
“The decisions to fire mothers and fathers without just cause is immoral and shows no care for humanity and no relationship to our God,” he said.
He had a message for President Trump.
“We say to you that whether it be the mass firings of federal government employees and contractors; whether it be the illegal actions of shutting down entire government agencies; whether it be the attempts to impeach judges who have not cowered down to your bullying and attacks; God is not pleased,” he said.
But congressional supporters of the president have said they are pleased with how swiftly the administration has acted to reduce what they consider widespread fraud and waste in the federal government.
The president has given no indication that the firings and layoffs will slow down.
Clergy members, meanwhile, said they will keep drawing attention to federal workers who are losing their livelihoods.
The coalition will host a town-hall meeting on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Second Baptist Church SW, in District Heights, Maryland.
The event will include presentations and information designed to help federal workers and federal contractors.
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