Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., left, is claiming the Trump administration will "stiff" federal workers who take buyout offers instead of returning to the office full-time. (Al Drago/Joe Raedle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"So my message to federal employees who receive this is, yeah, the president has tried to terrorize you for about a week and then gives you a little sweetheart offer: ‘If you resign in the next week, we’re just going to pay you for doing nothing for the next seven months.’ Don’t be fooled. He’s tricked hundreds of people with that offer. If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed the contractors. He doesn’t have any authority to do this. Do not be fooled by this guy," the Virginia Democrat also said.
When asked to respond Wednesday, the White House referred Fox News Digital to a statement by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in which she said "After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again.
"American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers," Leavitt added Tuesday.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Jan. 27, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
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"Six percent of the federal workforce in this city actually shows up to work. That’s unacceptable. We’re all here at work at the office. There are law enforcement officers and teachers and nurses across the country who showed up to the office today. People in this city need to do the same," Leavitt also said. "It’s an overwhelmingly popular policy with people outside of Washington D.C. The president campaigned on this and his administration is keeping a promise."
Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-kaine-claims-trump-stiff-federal-employees-who-take-buyout-offer-do-not-fooled