Kansas City is a hub for federal offices like the Social Security Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the IRS and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Departing officials, including disabled veterans, defend themselves and thousands of fired federal colleagues’ work with defiant, indignant letters, creating a written record of a tumultuous time.

At a recent panel put together by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, current and former federal employees discussed the chaos of DOGE's mass firings that have lead to wasted onboarding costs, potential late or unpaid bills to contractors and an atmosphere of fear.