Trump Administration Reportedly Tells EPA And Federal Workers To Stop All Outside Communication

Federal agencies — including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture — have ordered their employees to stop communicating with members of Congress and the press, Huffington Post reports.

In a memo obtained by Huffington Post, employees at sub-agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services were told to cease “any correspondence to public officials." On Monday, EPA employees received a memo, ordering a freeze on press releases, social media posts or blog messages until further notice. ProPublica and the Associated Press have confirmed that the EPA has frozen federal contracts and grants.

Employees of The Agricultural Research Service, the research wing of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, received a memo outlining a similar hold on communication outside the agency. “Starting immediately and until further notice, ARS will not release any public-facing documents,” wrote Sharon Drumm, chief of staff for the research service, in an email sent out to the department and obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Agency officials and lawmakers worry that these freezes will strip members of Congress of the ability to effectively communicate with constituents regarding concerns about healthcare and impede ongoing scientific research that requires federal funding.

Amridst Trump's social media freeze, the account for The Badlands National Parks went on a tweetstorm about cilmate change. Check out those tweets below.