Why It Matters
THE public service employees’ union AFSCME faces existential threats and is in a fight for survival. Some of the administration’s recent actions could kill the union, including implementation of "Schedule F" (reclassifying federal workers as at-will employees), court-approved elimination of collective bargaining rights for federal workers, and proposed cuts to healthcare and retirement benefits affecting its 1.3 million members.
Key policy impacts include defending labor rights for 1 million federal workers, protecting Medicaid funding and ACA tax credits, expanding OSHA coverage to public employees, and supporting progressive taxation while protecting Social Security from privatization.
By the Numbers
AFSCME reported $750,000 in Q3 2025 lobbying expenditures through its nine-member in-house team. Over its two-decade lobbying history, AFSCME has reported total expenditures of $50.35 million across 80 disclosures. The union’s only external firm engagement occurred in 2006-2007 with Jefferson Government Relations LLC for $40,000.
The team includes seasoned professionals with Capitol Hill experience: Laura Marsh MacDonald brings nearly seven years of House experience, Linda Bennett served two years on Veterans’ Affairs Committees, and Marc Scott Granowitter has represented AFSCME since 2006.
The Agenda
In Q3 2025, AFSCME prioritized:
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Labor & Workplace Rights: Supporting the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act (HR 2736/S 1352) and the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (S 852/HR 20). Opposing "Schedule F" executive actions eliminating civil service protections.
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Taxation: Pushing progressive tax reforms, including a billionaire income tax (S 2845/HR 5427) and taxes on excessive CEO pay (S 2818/HR 5298).
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Healthcare: Protecting Medicaid funding, establishing federal nursing home staffing standards (HR 3415/S 1709), and preserving ACA tax credits (S 2824). Opposing nominations of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
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Retirement Security: Supporting the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act (S 2763).
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Budget & Appropriations: Monitoring FY 2026 spending and continuing resolutions (S 2882/HR 5371).
Broader Context
The Trump administration has aggressively pursued "Schedule F," stripping civil service protections from approximately 50,000 federal workers and ending collective bargaining rights for roughly 1 million federal employees. During the October 2025 government shutdown, thousands of workers were laid off, prompting legal challenges.
Healthcare policy has shifted with confirmations of Robert F Kennedy Jr as HHS Secretary and Ahmet Oz as CMS Administrator. The CMS moved to rescind federal nursing home staffing mandates, while enhanced ACA premium tax credits face expiration. OSHA regulatory rollbacks threaten worker safety standards, and the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act includes provisions restricting Medicaid funding.
The Bottom Line
AFSCME is operating in a defensive posture, countering direct threats to federal worker protections while advancing progressive economic priorities. The union’s $750,000 quarterly spending reflects urgency around Schedule F implementation and collective bargaining rights erosion. AFSCME’s advocacy targets specific legislative responses to concrete administration actions—federal workforce reductions and regulatory rollbacks—representing standard union advocacy scaled to match heightened stakes for its public sector membership.