National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon in 2015. (Courtesy of NTEU)

When President Trump describes his ascension to power his self-absorption sounds almost biblical.

“Finally, the chorus became an earthquake,” he told a joint session of Congress Tuesday, “and the people turned out by the tens of millions, and they were all united by one very simple, but crucial demand: that America must put its own citizens first. Because only then can we truly make America great again.”

Clearly the people were not united in his popular vote defeat, but it is true many are quaking following his electoral college victory.

Among those are federal employees who will twice pay the cost of his governing by deconstruction. Trump wants to cut domestic discretionary programs by $54 billion and increase the defense budget by the same amount. That plan was a focal point during the opening session of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) legislative conference Wednesday.

In addition to suffering service cuts affecting Americans generally if Trump’s severe budget slashing is implemented, the workers also worry about their jobs — the ability to do them and keep them.

“Our concern is two-fold,” NTEU President Tony Reardon said after Trump’s plan was announced. “The very missions of these government programs would be jeopardized by such drastic cuts and thousands of federal employees around the country would likely lose their jobs.”

Feds might be fearful of what Trump means for them, but they aren’t cowering in fear.

Indeed, NTEU legislative conference participants are fired up and eager to push against plans that Trump and congressional Republicans have for federal agencies and the workforce.

“Today we fight for our agency missions and for the service we provide the public,” Reardon said. “We need to fight harder, to defend our work and our rights.”

It will be a difficult political battle.

For years, House Republicans have advocated what Reardon calls “negative legislation.” That category includes retirement changes that amount to pay cuts and attacks on due process among other measures. Those bills now stand a better chance of approval because Republicans control the White House and Congress. Reardon hopes Democratic filibusters will come to the rescue.

“We’ve won in the past,” he said, “and I think we’ll continue to win.”