GAO to investigate Trump's federal employee firings' impacts

An independent government agency is set to investigate the health and safety impacts of President Donald Trump's mass firings of early-career federal employees. This comes after a request from a group of Democratic senators, led by Elizabeth Warren. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will look into how these firings affect various important areas such as air travel, disease control, and food safety. The GAO is a nonpartisan agency that evaluates government operations for Congress. Lawmakers have expressed concerns that the mass layoffs have created inefficiencies, potentially putting public safety at risk. They highlighted attempts to rehire workers in critical sectors like nuclear and food safety following the mass departures. Many legal challenges against the firings have been brought by states, unions, and other groups. The White House has defended the firings, claiming Trump aims to eliminate waste and abuse in the government. However, many instances of firing workers in key agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs, have raised alarms among Democrats. The GAO plans to coordinate with independent watchdogs in other agencies to avoid overlapping investigations. Trump's administration has faced scrutiny since he fired several inspectors general soon after taking office.