Republicans Join Democrat Bill To Limit DOGE As Musk Angst Grows

Three House Republicans have signed on to a freshman Democrat’s shot at multibillionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to slash the federal workforce, as his chainsaw approach puts increasing pressure on GOP members.

Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) cosponsored Rep. Sarah Elfreth’s (D-Md.) bill (H.R. 1989) to ensure fired probationary employees can regain their seniority levels if re-hired by the federal government.

Elfreth’s effort is a direct response to the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal employees, which have focused on probationary employees.

“To me, this is just fair,” Elfreth said in an interview Wednesday, noting that some employees are only on probation because they recently became full-time or got promoted. “Elon Musk has admitted that mistakes are made,” Elfreth added, arguing that an accidentally fired employee shouldn’t lose seniority because of that.

While the bill is narrow, the three Republicans’ support indicates they’re aware of angst among their constituents — including reliable GOP voters — about Musk’s cuts.

Kiggans, one of the cosponsors, is a swing-district representative with a huge presence of federal military employees in her district anchored in Virginia Beach. More than 30,000 of Kiggans’ constituents, or 8% of those employeed, work for the federal government. Last week, she urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to limit veteran layoffs amid the cuts.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), seen at a September 2024 press conference with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), is one of three Republicans to sign on to a bill aimed at protecting probationary workers fired by the federal government.

Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Elfreth said she reached out to Republicans with large constituencies of federal workers, as well as members she’s formed relationships with in her first months in Congress.

She won over two fellow freshmen: Hurd, who won a seat in western and southern Colorado previously held by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R), and Baumgartner, who won an eastern Washington seat where then-Energy and Commerce Chairwoman cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) didn’t run again. Hurd and Kiggans will have to defend competitive seats in 2026.

Elfreth, whose Maryland district houses roughly 44,000 federal employees, said she’s not done selling her bill to Republicans and aims to have more GOP cosponsors.

When asked if she’d consider a discharge petition to force a vote on the bill, Elfreth said she’s first working to convince House leaders to schedule a vote, including by meeting with Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) to pitch it.

Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has introduced a companion bill (S. 918) that’s so far backed by Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

But the bills will face long-odds in a GOP-controlled chamber where Republicans are wary of breaking with their party’s standard-bearer.