🔗 Share this article

The White House disclosed the start of federal worker terminations on Friday, following through on prior threats in response to the ongoing federal funding lapse, which is now poised to extend into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

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.

While Vought provided no details on which agencies were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been issued within that department. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson noted that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a union for federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Labor representatives warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and pledged to challenge the moves in court.

This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who deliver essential functions to the public across the country,” said a national union president, representing the AFGE.

The largest labor federation in the US reacted to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a Republican-backed legislation to restore funding 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 the following week, meaning the standoff is not expected to be resolved before then.

At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, criticized opposition lawmakers for rejecting the GOP bill, which passed in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

Federal workers’ final pay that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and reopen the government,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, American service members, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions filed for a court injunction to block the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge directed the government to disclose details on termination strategies, impacted departments, and if any government staff had been brought back to carry out layoffs.

An analysis contended that a funding lapse restricts the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been started prior to the shutdown began.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations took place on the very day that federal workers received only a partial paycheck for the end of September but excluding the beginning of the current month, 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 impact on federal employees.

This is unjust to make federal employees suffer because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have failed to keep our federal operations running,” Stier stated. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid amid the funding gap.