🔗 Share this article

The White House confirmed the initiation of federal worker layoffs on Friday, making good on prior threats linked to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

Russell Vought wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the official process for letting employees go.

Although the official did not specify which departments were impacted, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that department. Additionally, a DHS spokesperson indicated that layoffs would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on services used by millions of Americans and pledged to challenge the moves in court.

This is shameful that the government has used the funding lapse as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public across the country,” stated a national union president, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to vote for a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, meaning the standoff is not expected to be resolved before then.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” Johnson said. Beginning shortly, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to block the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.

An analysis argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, citing official advice that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been started prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a incomplete payment covering the final days of September but not the beginning of October, since funding expired at the beginning of the period.

A public service advocate, the president 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 Congress and the administration have failed to keep our federal operations open and operational,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

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