Heinrich seeks details on Interior Department administrative leave spending
Sen. Martin Heinrich is asking the Interior Department to detail its spending on paid administrative leave and use of the federal deferred resignation program.
New Mexico senator asks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for information on employees placed on paid leave under the deferred resignation program
Organ Mountain News report
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is asking the Department of the Interior to provide detailed information about its use of paid administrative leave and the federal deferred resignation program.
Heinrich, D-N.M., ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requesting information about employees placed on administrative leave and the cost of the department’s deferred resignation program.
The request follows recent reporting cited by Heinrich that the department spent more than $150 million on paid administrative leave in 2025.
“I write to request detailed information regarding the Department of the Interior’s misguided reductions in workforce under the deferred resignation program,” Heinrich wrote.
According to Heinrich’s letter, 1,764 employees were placed on administrative leave between the beginning of the Trump administration and Dec. 31, 2025. Of those, 1,468 participated in the deferred resignation program and largely worked outside the Washington area.
Heinrich also pointed to an additional round of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement offers announced by the department in April.
“More than one year has passed since the Trump administration introduced the DRP, but Congress and the American people still do not know the full extent of its impact,” Heinrich wrote.
Heinrich is asking the department to provide by Oct. 1 the number of employees placed on paid administrative leave since the start of the administration, along with their offices, positions, salaries, duty stations, reasons for being placed on leave and the number of days spent on leave.
He also requested the total amount spent on salaries and benefits for employees placed on administrative leave because of the deferred resignation program.
For the April round of deferred resignations and early retirement offers, Heinrich asked Interior to provide a breakdown of employees who received offers and those who accepted them, including their offices, positions, salaries and duty stations.
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