James R. Walkinshaw

National Capital Region Democrats’ Statement on Relocation of USDA’s Food Assistance Employees

Position: The representatives oppose the USDA's relocation of food assistance and nutrition program employees out of the National Capital Region, characterizing it as a mass layoff that will harm SNAP administration, food safety, and program delivery to vulnerable populations.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a reorganization that would move most employees who work in food assistance and nutrition programs out of the National Capital Region (NCR): “With only 30 days notice, the Trump Administration decided to attack federal employees, their families, and make it harder to administer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs. To be clear: this is a mass layoff and illegal reorganization under the guise of a relocation. This administration is also intentionally forcing hardworking and experienced USDA employees to choose between losing their careers in the midst of mass federal layoffs or moving their entire family across the country during the school year and uprooting their lives at a time of rising inflation. In one swift move, the Administration is undercutting food assistance, food safety, and farmers. This will make every single American less healthy and less safe. It will also increase food and healthcare costs on every single American. We saw this exact move before in 2019 with other USDA offices, and it was a disaster. It resulted in serious brain drain, reduced morale, and draconian cuts to programs that the American people rely on. It's clear this is also another targeted and cynical Republican attack on SNAP from millions of Americans. Make no mistake – this is not about government efficiency, it is not about optimizing services for the American people, and it is not about maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars. It is the latest in a long series of attempts by this administration to break the spirits of federal public servants and disrupt the delivery of crucial services to the American people. In short, this move will be a disaster. We will do everything we can to fight it and eventually reverse it.” On April 30, 2026, USDA announced the relocations of SNAP to Indianapolis, the Child Nutrition Programs to Dallas, the Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs to Kansas City, research programs to Raleigh, Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations to Denver, and retailer operations and compliance will spread across offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York City. These changes are part of a larger USDA reorganization plan announced in July 2025 that would move most of the Department’s NCR staff to five regional hubs. In the announcement, USDA stated that they expected to move 2,300 USDA jobs out of the NCR. Other affected agencies include the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service. During the first Trump administration, the USDA relocated both the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from Washington, DC to Kansas City, MO. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of these relocations found that they had significant impacts on both agencies’ staffing and productivity, including: GAO also found that USDA did not follow many leading practices for agency relocations, including a failure to consult with its employees at any point during the process and the exclusion of several key variables, including employee attrition, in its economic analysis to support the relocations. Both agencies made positive improvements in these areas under the Biden administration, but the damage had already been done and many experienced, dedicated federal workers were essentially removed from their jobs. In March 2025, the members introduced the Cost of Relocations Act, led by Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), to fight back against President Trump’s relentless effort to relocate federal agencies and decimate their workforces. The legislation would require a cost-benefit analysis to be submitted to Congress in order to ensure that any attempt to move federal agencies is appropriately analyzed to guarantee it is in the best interest of the taxpayer and the agency’s mission.

Walkinshaw Amendment Requires Federal Agencies to Prove Fraud Prevention Efforts Are Effective

Washington, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) advanced an amendment in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to ensure federal agencies are held accountable for the effectiveness of their efforts to prevent fraud tied to funds released in the wake of national emergencies. The amendment requires any agency that obligates emergency supplemental funds to submit a formal after-action review within 180 days, in consultation with their Inspector General. Agencies must document whether their fraud controls worked, identify every gap and failure, account for taxpayer money lost to improper payments, and lay out a plan to get it back. OMB must incorporate findings into government-wide oversight reporting to Congress, building a record of what works and what doesn't before the next emergency hits. “When emergencies hit and billions of federal funds go out the door, Americans deserve to know their money is protected and not lost to fraud and improper payments.,” said Congressman Walkinshaw. “This amendment requires agencies to show their work. A real accounting of whether their controls worked, what failed, and what taxpayer money was lost. I’m proud to build on the strong bipartisan foundation that Representatives Biggs and Subramanyam have laid.” Walkinshaw's amendment was advanced as part of H.R. 8466, bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05) and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) requiring federal agencies to develop internal control plans in advance of national emergencies.

Walkinshaw Statement on Supreme Court Decision Undermining the Voting Rights Act

Position: Congressman Walkinshaw opposes the Supreme Court's decision weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and calls for Congress to ban partisan gerrymandering nationally and restore voting rights protections.

Washington, D.C. -- Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) released the following statement in response to today's Supreme Court's ruling. "Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a direct attack on voting rights — and on the communities who fought hardest to secure them. In a 6-3 decision, the MAGA Supreme Court gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act — the primary tool Americans have used for decades to challenge racially discriminatory maps. Republican-controlled states will now attempt to gerrymander districts to erase the voting power of Black Americans. Congress must act. Ban partisan gerrymandering nationally. Restore the protections this Court keeps dismantling."

Walkinshaw Pushes for Contempt Charges Against Pam Bondi After She Defied a Bipartisan Subpoena

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement. “Oversight Democrats and I are filing contempt charges against Pam Bondi after she defied a bipartisan congressional subpoena and refused to appear before the Oversight Committee. Bondi has critical information about this White House Epstein cover-up, and she needs to answer questions. Millions of Epstein files are still being withheld from the public, and Chairman Comer has been too weak to do what this moment requires. I will keep fighting for justice, transparency, and accountability for survivors. We will not let this be buried.”

Reps. Walkinshaw, McCaul Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Trafficking

Position: Representatives Walkinshaw and McCaul introduced legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security to establish performance metrics for detecting and seizing fentanyl, implement data-sharing procedures across DHS components, and strengthen coordination in federal fentanyl-trafficking enforcement.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Michael McCaul (TX-10) today introduced the Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish clear performance metrics for detecting, deterring, and seizing fentanyl — and break down the information silos that have hampered a coordinated federal response. "Fentanyl is the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Every single day, families across this country are burying their children, their loved ones, their neighbors because of this illicit drug. We have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to stop it. That starts with making sure every component of DHS working this problem is coordinated, accountable, and working as effectively as possible. I’m proud to introduce this legislation alongside Rep. McCaul because this bill makes that happen. We owe it to all the families impacted by this modern-day plague to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities," said Rep. Walkinshaw. "In the past five years, fentanyl has claimed the lives of at least 250,000 young Americans. Stopping this generational crisis must be our number one priority,” said Rep. McCaul. “I’m proud to introduce the Measuring Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act alongside Rep. Walkinshaw to ensure DHS has the tools and methods in place to decisively stop the flow of this deadly drug into our nation and save American lives." The bill comes after a September 2025 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that DHS’s ability to fully assess the effectiveness of its efforts to combat fentanyl remains limited. Despite Congressional mandates in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which required DHS to implement a fentanyl data and assessment program, GAO found that DHS components require clearer performance goals to measure its efforts. Additionally, DHS must strengthen important data-sharing procedures across all DHS components responsible for countering fentanyl trafficking, undermining accountability, and the effectiveness of its response. The legislation would require DHS-wide data sharing, ensure full implementation of the assessment program Congress already mandated, and establish clear performance goals and measures to track how effectively the department is combating the flow of fentanyl and protecting our communities. Fentanyl remains the leading driver of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Without consistent metrics and coordination across CBP, ICE, and other DHS components, it is difficult to assess what is working and where resources should be directed. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program is in support of this effort to better ensure information sharing to deter, detect, and seize illicit fentanyl. Sharing information and measuring impact is critical to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations. The bill was also co-sponsored by Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03) and Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. Read the full bill text here.

Walkinshaw Hosts First-Ever Federal Workforce Caucus Meeting as Fight to Rebuild Federal Government Begins

Position: Congressman Walkinshaw supports restoring federal employee rights, collective bargaining protections, and civil service capacity that he characterizes as having been undermined over the past 15 months, and commits to shielding federal workers from politicization.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a Co-Chair of the Federal Workforce Caucus, released the following statement on the Caucus' inaugural meeting. "I was proud to host the first official meeting of the Federal Workforce Caucus today alongside a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress and Union leaders, who have been on the front lines fighting to preserve the rights of federal employees. These rights are essential to ensure a government that can fairly and effectively serve the American people. 80% of federal civil servants live outside of the Washington, D.C. region and serve in communities across this country. They are doctors, veterans, researchers, and public servants who show up every day for the American people. They deserve a Congress that shows up for them too. That is exactly what this Caucus is going to do. For the past 15 months, federal workers have been subject to unprecedented challenges. They have been illegally terminated, subjected to mass reductions in force, lost vital employment protections and bargaining rights, and have been forced to endure toxic workplaces designed to push them out. These abuses have undermined civil servants’ ability to provide essential services to the American public. The Federal Workforce Caucus will address this challenge by working alongside union leaders and civil service organizations to rebuild the capacity of the federal workforce. The Caucus will prioritize shielding our nonpartisan civil servants from politicization – the mission of federal employees is to serve every American regardless of who is in the White House. Our goal is to not just to rebuild the federal workforce as it existed before, but to push forward, innovate, and build an even more effective, modern federal workforce that delivers for every American family. I am grateful to the unions and to the bipartisan Members of Congress who joined us today from all across America. Together, we are mapping the future of America’s nonpartisan civil service. Today is just the beginning."

Walkinshaw Slams Comer for Abandoning Oversight, Shielding Trump Administration from Accountability

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman James. R Walkinshaw (VA-11), a Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement slamming Chairman Comer for abandoning oversight and shielding the Trump administration from accountability. “Since the Epstein files came to light and Democrats forced a subpoena for Pam Bondi, Chairman Comer has deliberately ground the House Oversight Committee to a halt. Rather than enforcing subpoenas and following the facts, Comer has shut down the Committee's core oversight functions to protect Donald Trump, his Cabinet, and his political allies. He is blocking votes, stripping Members of the power to compel testimony, and replacing public hearings with closed-door, off-the-record roundtables that produce zero accountability. This is a deliberate effort to bury the facts, and keep the American people in the dark. Chairman Comer may try to run out the clock for this Administration, but when Democrats return to the majority, we will use every tool this Committee has to expose the abuses of this administration. No subpoena will go unenforced, and no one in this administration will be above accountability.”

Walkinshaw Statement on Russ Vought’s House Budget Testimony

Position: Congressman Walkinshaw opposes the Trump administration's FY 2027 budget proposal, arguing that the DOGE initiative has damaged federal services and workforce stability without delivering promised savings, and that the budget's proposed federal worker pay freeze and agency cuts would weaken critical government functions.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a Co-Chair of the Federal Workforce Caucus and a Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement in response to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought’s prepared testimony before the House Budget Committee advocating for President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Budget. “Director Vought’s testimony in support of President Trump’s FY 2027 Budget exposes this Administration’s reckless approach to the federal workforce, its misuse of taxpayer dollars, and the damage it is doing to the services Americans rely on every day. Contrary to Vought’s statements today, under the banner of ‘efficiency,’ DOGE took a wrecking ball to our nonpartisan civil service, disrupting agencies, pushing out experienced nonpartisan public servants, and creating deep uncertainty for federal workers and their families. Yet the promised savings failed to materialize. Far from delivering savings and efficiency, a nonpartisan analysis found that DOGE’s actions could cost taxpayers $135 billion by forcing employees onto paid leave, rehiring mistakenly fired workers, and driving down productivity. The public record also reveals DOGE’s false claims. Reporting analyzing DOGE’s own published figures found that DOGE claimed more than 29,000 contract and grant cancellations across the federal government, but federal spending still went up. Director Vought is also advocating for a budget that would freeze federal worker pay after last year’s 1 percent raise, which did not keep pace with inflation, while pursuing cuts that would weaken agencies, reduce support for critical public services, and make it harder to recruit and retain the skilled public servants needed to carry out essential missions. Federal workers are not line items on a spreadsheet or pawns in a political agenda. They are dedicated public servants who help keep our country safe and our government functioning. The American people deserve a government that is efficient and effective. They also deserve a budget that strengthens critical services, supports the public servants who deliver them, and meets the real needs of working families at a time when working families are already under immense financial strain.”

Walkinshaw Joins DMV Colleagues in Raising Alarm Over Safety and Maintenance Issues at Potomac Tracon Facility

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) joined a group of his DMV colleagues in pressing the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford for answers on two recent reports of equipment failure at the FAA Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility that caused evacuation of the facility, hospitalization of FAA personnel, and groundings and delays for aircraft at the covered airports in Virginia and Maryland. Concerned about the Potomac TRACON facility impacting aviation traffic, the lawmakers wrote, “These incidents, along with the tragic accident of January 29, 2025, involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter, demand that Congress have a full accounting of the management, operations, maintenance and planned and completed improvements for the Potomac TRACON facility specifically, and the airspace management of the National Capital Region generally.” “Potomac TRACON is the 4th largest TRACON facility in the country and manages flights for DCA, Dulles, BWI, as well as Richmond and Charlottesville. The facility also supports aviation operations for multiple military bases and a number of general aviation airports in Virginia and Maryland. On March 13th and March 27th, equipment at Potomac TRACON failed, resulting in hospitalized personnel, groundings, and delays. This incident raises questions about preparedness and operational reliability and is not an acceptable state of affairs. We need to better understand the causes of, and the FAA’s response to, the incidents, especially given the additional billions of taxpayer dollars entrusted to FAA for facility modernization in the past several years,” the lawmakers continued. The lawmakers conclude by requesting details about the cause of the two incidents in March 2026, an explanation of how much of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024’s $12.5 billion for air traffic control modernization was used for Potomac TRACON as well as how the federal dollars were used, planned maintenance actions at Potomac TRACON, and if the incidents at Potomac TRACON triggered a broader FAA review of all TRACONs across the U.S. The letter is also signed by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03). Read the full letter here and below. We write to express our alarm over recent safety incidents at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Potomac TRACON facility impacting aviation traffic at airports in the National Capital Region. Air travel in this region is facilitated by three of the busiest large airports in the United States. The delays and groundings are troubling enough, but the reports that the incidents at Potomac TRACON were caused by equipment failure raise serious concerns. These incidents, along with the tragic accident of January 29, 2025, involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter, demand that Congress have a full accounting of the management, operations, maintenance and planned and completed improvements for the Potomac TRACON facility specifically, and the airspace management of the National Capital Region generally. Potomac TRACON is the 4th largest TRACON facility in the country and manages flights for DCA, Dulles, BWI, as well as Richmond and Charlottesville. The facility also supports aviation operations for multiple military bases and a number of general aviation airports in Virginia and Maryland. On March 13th and March 27th, equipment at Potomac TRACON failed, resulting in hospitalized personnel, groundings, and delays. This incident raises questions about preparedness and operational reliability and is not an acceptable state of affairs. We need to better understand the causes of, and the FAA’s response to, the incidents, especially given the additional billions of taxpayer dollars entrusted to FAA for facility modernization in the past several years. Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which, among other provisions, directed the FAA to modernize ground-based infrastructure. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act provided $12.5 billion toward ATC modernization. These funds were authorized for technology upgrades, new ATC facilities, and other resources. In order to better understand the investments and improvements that FAA intends to make at Potomac TRACON and the steps that the FAA is taking to mitigate the specific causes of the two incidents in March, we request your response to the following no later than April 28, 2026: We urge the FAA to prioritize the safety of the FAA personnel working at Potomac TRACON. Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to your response.

Walkinshaw Statement on ALERT Act Vote and Continued Efforts to Strengthen Aviation Safety

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Homeland Security and Oversight and Government Reform Committees, released the following statement on tonight’s vote on the ALERT Act. “Tonight's vote on the ALERT Act is a step in the right direction and an opportunity for Congress to keep working together to strengthen aviation security in the aftermath of the tragic crash of Flight 5342 on January 29, 2025. The families of the 67 lives lost that night have turned unimaginable grief into purposeful action. They deserve our full commitment in return: final legislation with meaningful, enforceable safety improvements that make our skies safer for every traveler. The families of Flight 5342 have led with grace. We owe it to them, and to the memories of their loved ones, to get this right. Congress must continue working in a bipartisan spirit to ensure the ALERT Act contains the enforcement necessary to drive real, lasting change in aviation safety.”