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Fetterman, Moore, Sorensen Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to DoD Secretary Hegseth on Critical Hiring Freeze Exemptions

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT-01), and Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth encouraging the Department of Defense (DoD) to exempt all depots, shipyards, arsenals, and maintenance facilities from any department-wide civilian hiring freezes, pauses, restrictions, or limitations. While the DoD has had an exemption in place for these facilities since March 18, 2025, there are still several restrictions that amount to a hiring freeze for critical pieces of the defense industrial base.

“Military depots ensure our servicemembers have access to the weapons systems and platforms they need to keep our nation safe. They are the backbone of our military readiness, and making sure they are properly staffed is critical for our national security,” said Senator John Fetterman. “Preventing depots from hiring the staff they need to aid our troops and respond to global threats isn’t efficient. That’s why I’m working with my colleagues to demand Defense Secretary Hegseth and Acting OPM Director Ezell exempt military depots in Pennsylvania and across the nation from ongoing federal hiring freezes.”

There are multiple hiring restrictions in place for depots, arsenals, shipyards, and maintenance facilities that pose serious risks to U.S. military readiness and national security. Currently, software onboarding systems, such as USAStaffing.gov, remain shut down or off-limits to military services and DoD agencies, preventing depots from onboarding new hires. Additionally, military services are not currently allowed to backfill roles vacated by civilians who took the first two Deferred Resignation Programs, leaving many maintenance roles vacant. In addition, new guidance only allows agencies to hire one new employee for every four employees who leave the federal workforce. This poses challenges for facilities like Tobyhanna and Letterkenny Army Depots in Pennsylvania, which are funded based on the billable hours they generate for the Working Capital Fund.

“As co-chair of the House Military Depot Caucus and representative in Congress for Hill Air Force Base, supporting our military’s depots is an essential part of my job,” said Congressman Blake Moore. “We need facilities like the Ogden Air Logistics Complex to maintain our nation’s aging weapons systems, keep costs down for the DoD, and ensure readiness for future threats. Currently, our depots are struggling to keep up with workload in the wake of ongoing federal workforce changes and are losing talented employees to the private sector. This letter encourages the DoD to urgently end hiring restrictions and onboard new engineers who can regenerate our legacy weapons systems. Our ability to maintain deterrence against adversaries like Russia and China depends on it.”

“The workers at our arsenals, depots, and shipyards are essential to keeping our military ready and our country safe,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “They can’t do that if we don’t let them hire the people they need. That’s why I’m proud to join this bipartisan push to make sure the Pentagon lifts hiring restrictions and gives these facilities the support they deserve.”

The full letter text is available here.