Trump secures pay increase for wildland firefighters while DOGE fires critical support staff
CBSN
Wildland firefighters will keep a 4-year-old pay hike under a GOP-led spending bill signed by President Donald Trump, but many worry that mass federal worker firings will leave the nation more vulnerable to wildfires.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday credited Trump with securing the pay increase in a post on the social media site X. He said the administration is grateful to firefighters who he said "embody the American spirit by selflessly risking their lives to protect their neighbors, protect their communities and preserve our natural heritage."
The permanent pay raise comes as Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has cut about 3,400 workers at the U.S. Forest Service, about 1,000 at the National Park Service and another 1,000 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
