Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin publicly acknowledged for the first time on Tuesday anxiety felt by Virginians as the Trump administration continues to make cuts to the federal workforce.
“Broadly speaking, the anxiety from many Virginians over the concerns about their employment with the federal government is real,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday.
He added that he thinks that the process that the federal government is going through is “one that is needed because of the inefficiency and bloat,” and because American voters supported the plan by electing President Donald Trump in November.
How could federal cuts affect Virginia?
Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders and memos since he was sworn in, aimed at freezing federal funding for different agencies. He also formed the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk, a billionaire and advisor to the president who has not been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Since its formation, DOGE has begun work to dismantle federal agencies, including USAID and the U.S. Department of Education, with potentially more in its sights. The Trump administration has also announced potential funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health and an effort to freeze all federal grants, which sent health care providers reeling.
Virginia is home to about 144,483 federal workers, according to a December report by the Congressional Research Service, and cuts to that workforce could have a wide reach beyond the northern part of the state. About 28,628 federal workers are estimated to live in Virginia’s 5th, 6th and 9th Congressional districts combined, according to a 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service.
Rural school systems get a large portion of their funding from the state, and the biggest source of state funding is the income tax. Northern Virginia accounts for the largest chunk of the state’s revenue, at about 40%, so state-funded projects like schools and roads owe a large portion of their funding to the economic health of that part of the commonwealth.
House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, established an emergency committee on Feb. 4 to assess the potential economic and budgetary consequences of federal cutbacks. That bipartisan committee is also tasked with providing policy recommendations to mitigate negative effects on Virginia’s families, economy and state budget.
“After weeks of Virginians losing jobs due to Trump cuts, Youngkin finally expresses some concern. We don’t need your concern, Governor. PLEASE pick up the phone and call Trump. Fight for Virginians. Don’t prepare for the aftermath, PREVENT the crisis!” Scott wrote on X Tuesday afternoon.
Youngkin pledges support for federal workers, but details scarce
“This isn’t about the workers, who I know are really, really scared. This is about stepping back and making sure that tax dollars are being appropriately managed and deployed,” Youngkin said. “And yet that is not any way to help people deal with real concerns and anxiety that they have.”
Youngkin on Tuesday said that at the state level, his administration is preparing to provide as much support as it possibly can for Virginians who find their employment disrupted and may end up seeking another job. He did not provide details regarding that support, however.
“This workforce, which is talented and deep and experienced, is part of Virginia, and so we want to make sure that first, they know that we understand, and second, that we’re here to help. There’s lots of opportunities in the commonwealth of Virginia,” he said, reiterating a talking point he used during the 2024 campaign season when asked about Trump’s plan to gut the federal workforce in his second term.
Youngkin also said Virginia will have the ability to support federal workers in the state through “any job dislocation,” before acknowledging that a “spending pause and review” is ongoing within the federal government.
Youngkin’s office did not respond to a request for detail regarding his plan to support federal workers in Virginia who lose their jobs.