House Speaker Mike Johnson Wants Federal Workers Fired If They Protest Biden’s Israel Policy
(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) called for federal workers to be fired if they participate in a walkout to protest the Biden administration’s support of Israel as it battles Hamas.
The House Speaker posted on X:
“Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers. They deserve to be fired. Oversight Chairman [James] Comer and I will be working together to ensure that each federal agency initiates appropriate disciplinary proceedings against any person who walks out on their job.”
Johnson’s post was in response to a “scoop” by Al-Monitor’s Joyce Karem that “Hundreds of US Gov. Employees plan Walkout on Tuesday over Biden’s Gaza Policies. **22 Agencies** involved.”
Karem continued, “Organizers of protest tell @ElizHagedorn and me that they expect hundreds from across US Federal government not to show up to work on Tuesday as Gaza war hits 100 days. They point at White House behind policy block, and reference internal dissent across agencies.”
The group of federal employees calling itself “Feds United For Peace” planned to observe a “Day of Mourning” on Tuesday, the 100th day since Israel began bombing Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’ brutal attacks and kidnappings on Oct. 7.
Al-Monitor, which covers the Middle East, quoted an unnamed organizer who said the plans “grew out of a collective desire to do what we could to influence the Biden administration’s policy on this issue. What you’re seeing with this effort is something very unusual, and that is for dissent to be manifested via a physical act.”
An internal memo signed in November by 100 State Department and USAID employees criticized the U.S. of being “complicit in genocide” perpetuated by Israel against the Palestinians. And at least two administration officials have resigned in protest over Biden’s support of Israel: Tariq Habash, who is of Palestinian descent and a Biden appointee, resigned earlier this month. In October, State Department veteran Josh Paul stepped down over what he called U.S. “blind support of Israel.”
