May 2, 2025 — As I write this on April 11, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution which will devastate public programs! Programs that many of us use or depend on! We are in chaotic times and where we go from here is uncertain. Decades of hard-fought gains are being reversed by the Trump administration. Your political beliefs shouldn’t come before the union or your job. Union values should matter, common decency should matter, workers should matter, seniors should matter, regardless of your political affiliation. I can only speak for myself, but I believe in truth, character, integrity and doing the right thing for the right reason. Those are values which are imperative for a prosperous nation — A nation where everyone has the right to a secure retirement and the right to join a union.
Read on for PEF’s message to its members about the misinformation which is running rampant over social media and the anti-public employee echo chamber:
“There is a lot of misinformation being spread about the value and importance of the federal programs and services that PEF members administer on behalf of the federal government. Many don’t realize that these programs and services were not developed out of thin air – they were authorized and funded by an act of Congress for a reason. If you work in a federally funded program or service, it is critically important that our elected representatives, especially Republican majority U.S. House members, know about the important work you do and the potential negative impact on you and other New Yorkers if the funding for these vital programs and services are summarily and unilaterally frozen or eliminated.
If you are in a program area that is funded through federal support, please take a moment to contact your elected representatives in Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3121 and make your voice heard! If the line is busy or shut down, a list of the district office phone numbers for every Congressional member from New York can be found at the bottom of this document.
Educate Others About What You Do
The misinformation spreading about the federal programs and services that PEF members administer is a real challenge. Too many New Yorkers and other Americans don’t understand that the vast majority of these vital federal programs and services keep Americans out of poverty, help educate children with disabilities, provide unemployment benefits, keep our air and water clean, provide basic food assistance to those in need, or prevent abuse and fraud in earned benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security.
If you work in a federally funded program or service, please use your voice on social media, in community forums, clubs, associations and groups to educate people about what you do, why you do it and what would happen if the service or program you administer was eliminated. Here is a document that PEF put together outlining ways you can help.
Of vital importance to retirees, Medicaid is also in danger as the House and Senate work on proposals to cut at least $880 billion from the program to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. Read this fact sheet about NYS Medicaid Benefits and call your member of Congress today!
In Unity,
Jim Carr
Statewide President
PEF Retirees