Overview

• A viral video shows Senator Jim Banks telling Mack Schroeder, a fired HHS employee, that he 'probably deserved' to lose his job because he 'seems like a clown.'
• Banks has refused to apologize, doubling down on his remarks and defending the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative for cutting federal jobs.
• Mack Schroeder, who was dismissed in February, has criticized the layoffs, citing their harmful effects on programs for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families.
• The HHS workforce reduction, announced by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., cut 10,000 jobs to save $1.8 billion annually, raising concerns about the delivery of essential services.
• Banks has labeled Schroeder a 'left-wing activist,' while Schroeder maintains his work was nonpartisan and essential for administering federal grants to vulnerable populations.