🔗 Share this article

The White House disclosed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, following through on earlier warnings in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set to extend into its third consecutive week.

Formal Statement and Early Information

Russell Vought wrote on a public platform that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the official process for terminating staff.

While Vought provided no details on which departments were impacted, a treasury spokesperson stated that notices had been distributed within that department. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security representative noted that staff reductions would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a labor organization for federal workers confirmed that employees at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

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

“It is disgraceful that the government has used the funding lapse as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who deliver critical services to communities nationwide,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the AFGE.

The largest labor federation in the US reacted to the news, saying, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the Republican bill, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” Johnson stated. Beginning shortly, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, labor groups filed for a temporary restraining order to block the government from carrying out any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a court official directed the government to provide specifics on termination strategies, impacted departments, and if any government staff had been recalled to carry out layoffs.

An analysis argued that a funding lapse limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been started before the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

These terminations took place on the same day that federal workers received only a partial paycheck for the final days of September but not the beginning of the current month, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the period.

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

“It is wrong to make government staff suffer because our leaders in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid amid the shutdown.