Local federal workers, veterans sound alarm on Trump administration's planned job cuts

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The fear of what may come for Americans in the ongoing federal jobs fallout is now fueling a growing movement.

"I am fired up like I've never been fired up in my life," said U.S. Navy veteran Michael Applegate. "Our social safety net is being dismantled. Not just veterans, but across the board."

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From those who fought and served our nation to those who say they are fighting to keep America's resources safe for all, civil servants in Chicago are continuing to share their stories.

"This is not a left or right issue. We all need clean water, clean air, clean soil," said Loreen Targos with the Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office.

"Twenty-four-hundred people have been laid off today, and that's only going to get bigger," said Department of Veterans Affairs social worker Denise Mercherson.

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They say these cuts workers may save money now, but the losses will cut deeper for the people they serve.

"These are highly-trained people who have devoted their lives to doing this really specialized type of work," Targos said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to cut 80,000 workers. Applegate fears what this could mean for his fellow servicemembers.

"This is life and death for us," Applegate said. "This will only cause further deaths within the VA healthcare system. More veterans will commit suicide. More veterans will die from lack of access to quality healthcare."

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth joined other lawmakers in the Senate on Monday, introducing the Protect Veteran Jobs Act to help veterans impacted by recent mass layoffs.

"My legislation would allow veterans to get their jobs back. It would reinstate them going back to January 20th of this year," Duckworth said.

Applegate and these Chicago federal workers are pleading with the public not just to save their jobs but help them fight to save lives.

"This is survival for us," Applegate said. "The only way to deal with this is to fight back, and the only way to fight back is if we fight together."