Embattled Federal Employees Look to a Democratic Congress for a Lifeline

Since the start of his second term, President Trump has gone after the federal work force, shearing 17 percent of employees, stripping away centuries of experience in medicine, law and science, and politicizing jobs meant to be nonpartisan.

Embattled current and former workers are now looking to Democrats, newly empowered after the Republican rout in the midterm elections, for help.

But the sweeping Democratic victories came with competing ideas for change, starting with issues like affordability, health care and the war in Iran. That could mean that any reversal of Mr. Trump’s cuts may have to wait.

Then there is the reality that a Democratic-led Congress is only going to be able to do so much while Mr. Trump is still in the White House.

“We’re playing a long game here while we’re trying to prevent and undo as much damage as possible in the short term,” said Representative James Walkinshaw, a Democrat from a Northern Virginia district that is home to many current and former federal workers. Mr. Walkinshaw, who helped create the Congressional Federal Workforce Caucus earlier this year, said he expected the Trump administration to continue its attacks on the federal work force.

“But now we have some constitutional and legal authority to push back,” he said.