Sen. Tina Smith announced that a “unjustly fired” northern Minnesota park ranger will be her guest at President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
Kate Severson, a federal park ranger at Voyageurs National Park, was one of thousands of federal employees abruptly fired last month as billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spearhead the Trump administration’s widespread push to drastically reduce the federal government.
In a statement released Monday, Smith stated that park rangers like Severson keep visitors safe in some of Minnesota’s “most wild and extreme areas.”
“The story that Kate and Voyageurs National Park represent is one of absolute chaos for Americans since Donald Trump has taken office – he unilaterally appointed Elon Musk to one of the most powerful positions in the government without oversight,” tweeted Smith. “I’m glad she has the opportunity to share her story and I’m grateful to have her by my side at this Address to Congress.”
In an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune, Severson stated that she will appeal her dismissal.
“The worst part is that our termination letters state that it was due to poor performance and failure to meet performance objectives. “This is clearly not the reason,” Severson told the newspaper.
In a statement released by Smith’s office, Severson described the recent firings as a “betrayal” of the newest cohort of Park Service employees, undermining America’s ability to protect parks.
“I do not for one second believe these cuts were made to save the taxpayers money,” Severson told me. “Parks provide well-documented economic benefits. Instead, these cuts were intended to weaken government agencies, remove public protections and services, and pave the way for those seeking to exploit our resources.”
