🔗 Share this article

Administration officials disclosed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, making good on prior threats linked to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is set to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement 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 government’s process for letting employees go.

Although the official did not specify which departments were impacted, a treasury spokesperson stated that notices had been issued within that department. Furthermore, a DHS representative indicated that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a union for federal workers confirmed that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on services used by millions of Americans and vowed to challenge the actions in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has exploited the funding lapse as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who deliver essential functions to communities nationwide,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads 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 refused to support a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved soon.

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

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties 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.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, labor groups sought a court injunction to block the government from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Additionally, a federal judge directed the government to provide specifics on termination strategies, impacted departments, 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, referencing official advice that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a partial paycheck covering the final days of the previous month but excluding the beginning of October, since appropriations expired at the start of the period.

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 government staff bear the burden because our elected officials in Congress and the White House have not succeeded to keep our government open and operational,” Stier said. “Our air traffic controllers, veterans’ healthcare providers, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

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