🔗 Share this article

Administration officials disclosed the initiation of federal worker layoffs on the end of the week, making good on earlier warnings in response to the continuing federal funding lapse, which is set to extend into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” indicating the official procedure for terminating staff.

Although Vought provided no details on which agencies were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that notices had been distributed within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS representative indicated that layoffs would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a union representing federal workers announced that members at the Education Department would be affected by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Union leaders cautions that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on public services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to contest the moves in court.

This is shameful that the government has exploited the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public nationwide,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO reacted to the announcement, declaring, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have refused to vote for a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be ended soon.

At a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, Mike Johnson, criticized opposition lawmakers for not supporting the Republican proposal, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to block the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and if any federal employees had been brought back to execute staff reductions.

An analysis argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the administration to carry out firings, referencing guidance that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been started before the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

These terminations took place on the very day that government employees got only a partial paycheck for the end of the previous month but excluding the start of the current month, since appropriations lapsed at the start of the month.

A public service advocate, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s impact on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make federal employees bear the burden because our leaders in Congress and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations open and operational,” the advocate said. “Our flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

A notable point is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries amid the shutdown.