Assistant Leader Neguse Uplifts Former Federal Employee, USFS Forestry Technician at President Trump’s Joint Address

Lafayette, CO — House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02) announces former United States Forest Service (USFS) Forestry Technician, Mikayla Moors, as his guest to President Trump’s first Address to a Joint Session of Congress. Moors was affected by the recent series of mass terminations conducted by the Trump Administration, despite her dedication as an accomplished civil servant.

In her role as a USFS Forestry Technician, Ms. Moors was based in Estes Park, Colorado. She and her team traveled to key locations across the Rocky Mountain West to conduct wildfire mitigation programs. Mikayla also served two summers as an interpretive park ranger with the National Park Service. In August of last year, she received a full-grade promotion within the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and was preparing to begin a new position at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 

Unfortunately, Moors was among the 3,400 USFS employees to receive a notice of termination on February 14, 2025. 

“The Trump administration’s purging of the Forest Service and federal workforce is already having disastrous consequences for communities across the country, including here in Colorado. I am deeply honored to be joined by a former USFS employee at tomorrow’s address and for the opportunity to uplift her story and stand alongside her and the other Coloradans impacted by these reckless directives,” said Assistant Leader Neguse. 

“My calling is to serve others by protecting our priceless cultural, historical and natural resources. I took on an extremely demanding, labor-intensive job that many others won't or can't do in hopes of proving myself for a long career in federal lands management,” said Mikayla Moors. “My team performed important, difficult work that reduced communities’ exposure to the threat of wildfire. And now that thousands of us have been unjustly fired, communities across the country will be less safe, and our forests less healthy.”

After President Trump assumed office in January, he recklessly fired employees at agencies across the federal government en masse, causing deep harm to countless communities in Colorado and across the country. 

Assistant Leader Neguse swiftly spoke out in support of the committed, hard-working federal employees who keep this country running, including essential wildland firefighters and seasonal workers. He also demanded an independent investigation into the dismantling of key agencies and called on agency leaders to restore order.

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