Issue 10

May 23

Welcome to the tenth issue of Fired But Fighting, a newsletter for illegally terminated and improperly RIF’d CDC employees. Read on for legal and advocacy updates, links to media coverage, calls to action, tips, and resources.

To download a PDF of the newsletter, click here.

BREAKING NEWS

» U.S. District Judge Susan Illston barred agencies from mass layoffs and demanded that fired federal workers be returned to the status they had prior to February 11. Probationary and RIF’d employees are covered by this injunction in principle, but the stay means no action is required yet to reinstate probationary employees who were fired. We’re still in a legal limbo until the appeals process plays out. Read AFGE’s update.

» Special guest, Senator Jon Ossoff, will speak during the support rally on Tuesday, May 27! Join us ahead of time (3-4pm) for a sign-making party at the Glenn Memorial UMC right around the corner.

LEGAL UPDATES

» Probationary Employees: Terminations have gone into effect for those who received termination letters dated May 8th. On Thursday morning, HHS reaffirmed to Judge Alsup that they have sent “performance letters” to all probies. If you have not received a performance letter - which clarifies that your 2/14 termination was not performance-based, please let us know by filling out this Google Form.

» If you were probationary and then RIF’d, it seems that you are not being terminated as part of the May 8 mass termination, and you are subject to the outcome of the ongoing RIF lawsuit.

» James & Hoffman is working on a class action MSPB appeal that applies to every probationary employee who has been terminated. The appeal will seek backpay and reinstatement, but could take months or years to resolve.

To view this week’s full legal update, click here.

CALLS TO ACTION

» Sign the open letter to the public expressing the concerns of health professionals (currently at 1400 signatures) authored by a retired CDC deputy director (Steven H. Woolf, MD, MPH).

» A group of Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs) have drafted an open letter in support of the TALENTS Act (effectively, reinstating and permanently codifying the program). Read the letter here and if you are an alumnus, sign on using this form.

» Review the Job Hopper’s curated list of resources for fired feds, including free career coaching and career development opportunities.

» The CDC Museum wants to hear your stories. You can schedule an in-person meeting, borrow audio equipment, use an app to record your oral history, or write a memoir.

» Probationaries who have NOT received the 5/8 termination letter:

Please be sure to fill out the Google Form tracking document. This will help us determine how many people were not notified and whether this corresponds with those who were also RIF’d.

» Sign the letter asking Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to join the multi-state lawsuit fighting the HHS mass layoffs. FBF is collecting signatures through May 27. Please share with your networks!

» The McClintock Papers: are you a federally-funded scientist? Check out this call to submit letters to the editor to be published on or about June 16th.

» REPLAY: Sec. Kennedy appears in front of Congress. Did you miss Secretary Kennedy’s appearances in front of members of Congress to testify about the President’s proposed FY2026 budget? No worries, we’ve got you! You can run it back… you know, if you must! (You’ve been warned… the absurdities and falsehoods do not stop).

- Senate HELP Committee Hearing on FY2026 HHS Budget

- Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on FY2026 HHS Budget

Follow Fired But Fighting on Bluesky and Instagram for reactions and fact-checking.

» Contact Your Georgia Senators Directly. Need help or have questions for Senators Warnock or Ossoff? Fired But Fighting now has a “Contact a Georgia Senator” page with direct links to staffers from both offices. Use it to get connected and get answers.

EVENTS

» May 27: Sign-making party ahead of the support rally. John Ossoff will be onsite to make a statement, so let’s get creative! 3:00 to 4:30 pm at the Glenn Memorial UMC (Clifton and N Decatur). Sign-Making Party — Fired But Fighting

» May 27: CDC Support Rally at Roybal - featuring Senator John Ossoff: Sign-Making Party — Fired But Fighting

» May 31: Gritty in Green: An Unhappy Hour and Letter-Writing Event. 🟩 Dress to Resist. Mutation Brewing, 5825 Roswell Road, NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. 2-5pm. Gritty in Green (Un) Happy Hour — Fired But Fighting

Quick Tips

Separate the Devices, Protect the Evidence

Keep agency work on agency hardware and personal matters on private devices. When litigation or an investigation looms, forensic imaging can sweep every drive you’ve ever synced. Clear boundaries preserve privileged documents you store at home and prevent the inadvertent surrender of personal communications that have nothing to do with your job—but could complicate negotiations if exposed.

What do I do with my Thrift Savings Plan?

As now separated federal employees, we have a few options regarding our Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) retirement accounts.

1. You can leave the money in your account, and it can stay there until you are of retirement age and ready to withdraw it. You are under no obligation to withdraw.

2. You can make either a total or a partial withdrawal or schedule payments for your TSP account. This will incur a 20% federal tax on the funds you withdraw. You can call TSP at 1-877-968-3778 or you can submit an application to withdraw to the Office of Personnel Management, Federal Employees Retirement System, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA, 16017-0045.

3. You can roll over your TSP funds into an IRA or other retirement account. Conversely, you can also rollover other retirement accounts you may have into your TSP.

More TSP Resources:

- Information for TSP Participants Leaving the Federal Government

- Rollovers from the Thrift Savings Plan to Eligible Retirement Plans

- Taking Money from Your Account