Picture of RFK Jr. that says Liar Liar pants on fire

BREAKING NEWS

» Guess what? RFKJ is a liar: RFK Jr misled Senate during confirmation, Congress members and Hawaii governor say | The Guardian

» NEW CDC Data Project analysis of 2026 budget recommendations available on cdcdataproject.org/2026-budget-recommendation

» Not just measles. Two cases of tuberculosis detected at El Paso ICE facility | The Texas Tribune

» Ya think? 'Take the vaccine, please,' a top US health official says in an appeal as measles cases rise | ABC News

» $600M in CDC grants to CA, MN, CO, and IL targeted for termination: Full list | Grant Witness

Welcome to the 48th issue of Fired But Fighting, a newsletter for illegally terminated, improperly RIF’d, chaotically reinstated, and current HHS staff. Read on for judicial and advocacy updates, links to media coverage, calls to action, tips, and resources.

Please consider supporting us by making a donation, grabbing some FBF merch, or signing up to volunteer. We’re especially looking for a volunteer coordinator and a finance person. You can also check out the FBF Talent Marketplace to support a fired (or furloughed) fed.

various Fired But Fighting merchandise, including new products like “Stay Salty,” “Federal Disaster Team,” and “Enjoy Measles” designs — *Fresh new Fired But Fighting merch*

Visit www.firedbutfighting.org/newsletter-library to read this and previous issues of the newsletter on the web.

LEGAL UPDATES

» Last week, Congress passed legislation fully funding HHS through the end of September. The bill includes language that bars HHS from moving any CDC functions to other parts of the agency without Congressional and public notice. Meanwhile, L2883 has now developed guidance for filing a formal EEO complaint, once the initial 30-day period has passed after requesting counseling. HHS appeals have been consolidated for AHRQ, ASPR, OASH, OS, and SAMHSA, while the HRSA and NIH consolidations are in progress. This week's legal update includes more information on all these developments along with updates on the lawsuits challenging the smorgasbord of RIFs across the federal government.

Read the full legal update here.

CALLS TO ACTION

» Were you affected by the government-wide unlawful terminations in February 2025? 27 UNIHTED, an organization started by probationary and RIF'd NIH employees, has created a 20-30 minute survey to better understand the lasting repercussions of these events. Please consider taking the survey via Google form.

» Take a moment to comment on these proposed rules that affect HHS employees and the public health workforce:

The Department of Education has recategorized Public Health, Nursing, and other professional degrees as longer being “Professional Degrees.” PLEASE COMMENT ABOUT HOW BAD OF AN IDEA THIS IS BY MARCH 7.
OPM proposes to transfer appeal rights for employees affected by a RIF action from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to OPM, removing independent review. Learn more about this issue and comment before March 12.

» ICE is a public health problem. We’ve compiled resources on the FBF Resources page for our readers to take a stand against ICE.

» If you were RIFed from HHS on April 1 and had errors in your RIF notice or on your retention register, you may be eligible for inclusion in a class-action lawsuit seeking monetary damages for violations of the Privacy Act. The class is defined as “[all] individuals who were employed by [HHS] in a non-probationary status on March 31, 2025, were sent a Notice of [RIF] or Notice of Intent to [RIF] on April 1, 2025, and whose Notice of [RIF] was inconsistent with official personnel records.” This includes RIFed HHS employees who were separated, those still on administrative leave, and those who have since been reinstated. If you think you might be a member of the proposed class, you can share your information with the law firm filing the suit here.

» Volunteer with Fired But Fighting: Looking for ways to channel your rage? Sign up to volunteer. We’re especially looking for volunteer coordinators, CPAs, and attorneys.

EVENTS

Rage Room + (Un) Happy Hour Flyer — **Rage Room**

» February 21: Rage Room + (Un) Happy Hour Combo. Home base is Skol Brewing Company. The Spin Art ATL Rage Room is within walking distance, and we’ve booked the room at 2:00 and 3:00. RSVP here.

flyer for volunteer event with The Sandwich Project on February 22 — **The Sandwich Project**

» February 22: Join Compassionate Atlanta and The Sandwich Project in serving our neighbors with food insecurity by assembling sandwiches and care packages. RSVP he r e.

Atlanta Community Food Bank Day of Service — **NPHC/FBF Day of Service**

» March 7: Join NPHC/FBF for our first Day of Service with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Register here.

CAREER CORNER

» The Career Corner is 🚧 under construction 🚧 . In the meantime, please visit the Unemployment & Career Planning section in FBF Resources.

» Join the Opportunities for Former HHS Staff Group and follow Fired But Fighting on LinkedIn for more.

WEEKLY 27 UNIHTED

» Every Saturday: Vigil commemorating the lives and knowledge lost through NIH cuts. Black attire encouraged. 10 am at the Medical Center Metro.

**Benefit Concert**

» 27 UNIHTED Benefit Concert: February 15 at 5:00 pm at The Alley. Download the flyer.

» Please follow and share 27 uNIHted’s new Instagram account.

UNION CORNER

» On February 13, AFGE L2883 dues will increase from $15 to $22.46 biweekly for current employees, and from $50 to $75 annually for retired employees. We have secured a one-year exception to the increase for recently separated employees so that you will continue to pay only $15 per pay period. If you are recently separated but are charged the higher amount, please contact us at info@afge2883ga.org so we can resolve the issue.

» Only a small portion of your dues (<25%!) goes to L2883 (the rest goes to AFGE national), but your dues are essential to ensure our local is able to continue operating and assisting its members, including with legal representation.

» L2883 will be holding officer elections soon, please be on the lookout for a call for nominations. Due to National Labor Relations Board regulations, this will come via snail mail, so please ensure your address on file with AFGE is correct!

» If you would like support with requesting EEO counseling for a denial of your reasonable accommodation (RA) or for any other discrimination experienced, please fill out a request for representation h ere. Please note, we only have resources to represent dues-paying members.

» If you have RA specific questions or would like to help us support your colleagues in the disabilities community, please email us at ra@afge2883ga.org.

» If you’re not already a member, sign up here to join the fight now! As a reminder, all job series (including supervisors) are eligible to join! The only exception is commissioned corps officers. https://join.afge.org/L2883

CDC MUTUAL AID

💕 From Gratitude to Action: The Feb 14 Challenge 💕

Our goal? Raise $75,000 by February 14.

If you've supported us before, thank you. Your generosity has made a real difference. This time, we're asking you to help by sharing this campaign with your network. And if you're in a position to give again, we'd be deeply grateful for that too. Visit: https://www.cdcresourceportal.org/donate to donate.

💕 This Valentine’s Day, let’s show up for one another 💕

We’re fundraising for the CDC Mutual Aid Network through Valentine’s Day cards. Available for pick up at:

🎈Avondale Estates 🎈Kirkwood 🎈Edgewood 🎈Oak Grove 🎈Northlake

10 cards for $8 | Beautiful designs | Helping colleagues in need. Pre-order here!

» New Merch Drop! Check out our new "Public Health is Love" collection and more. Every purchase directly supports our mission and helps us continue making a difference. cdc-mutual-aid-network.printful.me

» Follow CDC Mutual Aid Network on Social Media!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdc-mutual-aid-network
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cdcmutualaid.bsky.social

THE WEEKLY NEEDLE

» The Weekly Needle is America’s most trusted news source for satirical medical news. Enjoy our top story from last week:

» Nation Mourns 34 Million Dead Due to Hearing Spanish, Seeing Twerking During Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Half Time Show - In the words of one survivor, “Going from sexy dancing to an endearing scene of Bad Bunny talking to a neighborhood abuelita and celebrating unity across the Western Hemisphere? What type of wholesomeness has our country descended into?”

» Please consider becoming a subscriber by following the link here. Interested in contributing? Email us at theweeklyneedle@proton.me.

SPOON OF THE WEEK

» Dr. Becky Stewart, a public health officer with CDC and USPHS explains why she resigned rather than enforce immigration policies she believes violate fundamental principles of public health and human rights. Read her story and resignation letter on the Public Health Workforce is Not OK substack.

» To submit a spoon for a future newsletter, email info@firedbutfighting.org.