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Newer Commerce, NOAA staffers re-fired

The Commerce Department and its National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are already re-firing probationary employees after a temporary court restraining order was lifted.

© Greg Nash

The Trump administration first attempted to get rid of the employees, who were recently hired or promoted, en masse earlier this year, but it was halted by a temporary court restraining order, and employees were brought back to the government on administrative leave.

That restraining order was lifted last week, and the Commerce Department began to fire them again.

It’s not clear whether other federal departments also moved to refire their probationary workers after the court order expired.

The Commerce Department appears to be carrying out some of the administration’s most aggressive efforts to cut federal workers as it moves to slash the civil service workforce and government spending.

The Commerce Department did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

“It’s ridiculous. They’re playing with us,” said Tom Di Liberto, a climate scientist and public affairs specialist at NOAA who was fired, rehired and fired again last week.

“You’re treating us like we’re enemies of the state,” Di Liberto said. “It’s just very, very, very frustrating, especially knowing that the court cases are still ongoing, so we still might get reinstated again. We have no idea. And these are people’s lives. They rely on this money.”

Read more at TheHill.com.

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