🔗 Share this article

Administration officials confirmed the initiation of government employee terminations on Friday, following through on earlier warnings linked to the continuing 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 posted on social media that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official process for letting employees go.

While Vought did not specify which agencies were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a DHS representative noted that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a union representing federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on public services relied upon by the public and pledged to challenge the actions in the legal system.

This is shameful that the government has used the funding lapse as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide essential functions to the public nationwide,” said a national union president, representing the AFGE.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is not expected to be ended soon.

During a media briefing, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, blasted Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican proposal, which was approved 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 end the shutdown,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions sought a temporary restraining order to block the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any federal employees had been recalled to execute layoffs.

A report contended that a funding lapse limits the authority of the administration to conduct terminations, citing official advice that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been started prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations took place on the very day that government employees received only a partial paycheck for the final days of the previous month but excluding the beginning of the current month, since funding expired at the beginning of the period.

A public service advocate, the president of the advocacy group, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on government workers.

This is unjust to make federal employees suffer because our elected officials in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our government running,” Stier said. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

A notable point is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid during the shutdown.