Rep. Suhas Subramanyam Seeks To Assure Constituents At Town Hall

At the emotional town hall, the first held by Congressman Suhas Subramanyam.

India-West News Desk

LEESBURG, VA – Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) took center stage at a packed town hall meeting on February 3, as hundreds of federal employees and concerned residents gathered to voice their fears over the Trump administration’s latest workforce purge.

The meeting focused on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly created agency led by Elon Musk that has aggressively pushed for federal job cuts and taken unprecedented control over key government offices.

Subramanyam opened the session by acknowledging the overwhelming number of emails, calls, and messages from constituents who fear losing their jobs. He specifically addressed the controversial “fork in the road” emails received by many federal workers, which have been framed as voluntary buyouts but offer little transparency.

“It’s kind of worded as a buyout, but it’s not actually a buyout,” Subramanyam warned. “It’s basically telling you to resign in the next six to eight months. If you take this option, you don’t have to come into work anymore. But there’s no appropriation for this in Congress—there’s no money set aside for these so-called buyouts.” He urged employees to consult legal counsel or their unions before making any decisions.

Fears Over Security, Musk

Beyond job security, the meeting highlighted growing concerns over Musk’s increasing access to government infrastructure and classified information. Subramanyam, a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, admitted that even he was being kept in the dark.

“We’re getting very little information as members of Congress, and it’s totally unacceptable,” he said. “The DOGE committee has spoken with us never, basically.”

He encouraged residents to report any developments to his office and vowed to use his platform to push for transparency. Subramanyam also reassured attendees that despite House Democrats lacking a majority, they could still make their voices heard. “What we do have is the ability to speak up, to tell people’s stories, and to use whatever leverage we have. I will hold town halls like this and make those stories public,” he declared.

DOGE Staff Sleeping In Government Buildings

Reports of DOGE’s extreme measures added to the outrage. One town hall attendee alleged that a top Musk aide, along with his wife and child, had moved into a federal agency’s sixth floor, creating a restricted-access living space. The claim, first reported by The Daily Beast, underscores Musk’s well-documented practice of encouraging employees to sleep at work—a strategy he previously implemented at Twitter and Tesla.

Reuters also revealed that DOGE operatives have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management, locking out employees from their systems and converting parts of the building into an informal headquarters. Sofas have reportedly been moved into the fifth floor, where the director’s office is located.

While Musk has yet to comment directly on the allegations, past incidents indicate a pattern. Following his takeover of Twitter, Musk converted offices into makeshift bedrooms, prompting a legal dispute over building permits.

As tensions mount, Subramanyam vowed to keep fighting for federal employees. “We need to crack down on this overreach,” he told the audience. “This is not just about jobs—it’s about the integrity of our government.”