🔗 Share this article

Administration officials confirmed the start of federal worker terminations on the end of the week, making good on prior threats in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third consecutive week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

The director of the White House budget office wrote on a public platform that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the official process for letting employees go.

While Vought provided no details on which departments were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been issued within that agency. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security representative indicated that layoffs would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a labor organization for federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Union Response and Court Actions

Labor representatives warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on public services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to challenge the moves in court.

This is shameful that the administration has used the funding lapse as an excuse to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who deliver essential functions to the public nationwide,” said a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Legislative Impasse and Funding Battle

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have refused to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized opposition lawmakers for not supporting the Republican proposal, which was approved in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and reopen the government,” the speaker stated. Beginning shortly, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Last week, unions filed for a court injunction to prevent the administration from carrying out any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a court official directed the government to disclose details on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any government staff had been brought back to execute staff reductions.

An analysis argued that a funding lapse restricts the ability of the administration to carry out firings, citing guidance that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the very day that government employees got only a partial paycheck covering the end of the previous month but excluding the beginning of October, since appropriations lapsed at the beginning of the month.

Max Stier, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the gridlock’s effect on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make government staff bear the burden because our leaders in the legislature and the White House have not succeeded to keep our federal operations open and operational,” Stier said. “Our air traffic controllers, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.