Trump’s federal hiring freeze will cost taxpayers and hurt Americans, Fed unions say

​Donald Trump is backtracking on campaign pledges to create American jobs and cut wasteful government spending by issuing an executive order to freeze federal employee hiring across the country, which will result in more work being outsourced to more expensive contractors, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said Monday. “President Trump’s action will disrupt government programs and services that benefit everyone and actually increase taxpayer costs by forcing agencies to hire more expensive contractors to do work that civilian government employees are already doing for far less,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. "We're disappointed but not surprised by President Trump's attack on federal workers," said AFSCME Council 26 Executive Director Carl Goldman. AFSCME said the freeze will make federal agencies less effective, hurting people and communities that depend on efficient public services. “You can’t make America great by undermining those who’ve dedicated their careers to serving America," said AFSCME president Lee Saunders.