The downsizing followed an early
push by Trump allies and govern- ment reform advocates to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. According to The Washington
Post, the administration eliminat- ed hundreds of thousands of posi- tions during a sweeping restructur- ing eff ort aimed at cutting costs and reshaping agencies to better align with the president’s policy priorities. Offi cials say the goal is a lean-
er government that answers more directly to elected leaders while reducing spending and bureaucratic ineffi ciency. At the same time, the administra-
tion has begun selectively hiring in key areas such as healthcare, tech- nology, and program management as it transitions from rapid cuts toward rebuilding parts of the workforce. Even with the renewed hiring,
however, the federal government remains far smaller than when Trump returned to offi ce — a shift supporters say fulfi lls the president’s campaign pledge to rein in Wash- ington’s sprawling bureaucracy and
Offi cials say the goal is a leaner government that answers more directly to elected leaders while reducing spending and bureaucratic ineffi ciency.
return power to taxpayers and the states.
While the data covers most of the executive branch, some agencies are omitted entirely. Those include various intelli-
gence agencies and most of the Exec- utive Offi ce of the President (with the notable exception of the Offi ce of Management and Budget). It doesn’t include Congress or any legislative agencies, the federal judiciary, or such quasi-independent entities as the U.S. Postal Service and the Fed- eral Reserve. The dataset does include the Con-
sumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an independent agency that organizationally is part of the Fed- eral Reserve. The CFPB’s headcount fell 28.8% last year. The job cuts aff ected more white-
Electric Prices E
collar workers, who made up 92.1% of the federal workforce at the end of 2024, than blue-collar workers. Headcount in white-collar occupa- tions fell 10.6% last year, versus 6.7% among blue-collar occupations. Other notable losses in specifi c occupations: Medical workers, including nurses (-4,038), medical offi cers (-2,318), and practical nurses (-1,046) Tax professionals, including inter-
nal revenue agents (-3,141), internal revenue offi cers (-1,030), and tax examiners (-4,309) Information technology managers (-13,986) General attorneys (-6,608) Contact representatives, who
explain policies and provide benefi t administration to the general public (-6,629)
for president in the 2020 and 2024 elections. In contrast, 80% of the 10 states with the lowest electricity
Spark Concern Consumers upset by soaring rates. BY KATHRYN MCKENZIE
nergy aff ordability has become a top concern for American families and businesses. A new Ipsos poll finds that 73% of U.S. residents are concerned about their electricity and gas bills rising this year, and 80% of Americans admitted they feel powerless over how much they are charged for these utilities. These aff ordability concerns are well-founded. Federal data show U.S. electricity prices increased by 27%
from January 2021 through January 2025, and by an additional 11% from January through September 2025, placing even more strain on Americans’ finances. Electricity prices are especially high in traditionally liberal
areas of the country, reports the Institute for Energy Research. In total, 86% of states with electricity prices above the national average are reliably blue, having voted for the Democrat nominee
prices are reliably red, defined as having voted for the Republican candidate in these contests. More than almost any other product, electricity prices are
a direct result of state energy policies because states have the exclusive power to decide which resources supply their grids, says the institute. States also enact energy policies requiring a certain
percentage of retail electricity sales in the state to come from renewable generation under a renewable portfolio standard, or can set energy ef iciency resource standards or clean energy standards. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, each of the
top five most expensive states for electricity require 100% of their power to come from renewable or carbon-free sources, making their electricity unnecessarily more expensive. In contrast, eight out of 10 states with the lowest electricity
prices are reliably red, and seven of these states have no 100% carbon-free mandates. Federal data show New York’s electricity prices were 58% higher than the national average and 62% higher than Florida’s from January 2025 to August 2025. California’s electricity rates are the second-highest in the
nation. Rates are double the national average. MAY 2026 | NEWSMAX 21
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