🔗 Share this article

Administration officials confirmed the initiation of federal worker layoffs on the end of the week, making good on earlier warnings in response to the ongoing federal funding lapse, which is now poised to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

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

Although the official provided no details on which departments were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that notices had been distributed within that department. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson noted that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that members at the Education Department would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

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

“It is disgraceful that the administration has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public across the country,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to support a GOP-supported bill to reopen the government unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, meaning the standoff is not expected to be resolved before then.

At a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, criticized opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican bill, which passed 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 do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. Beginning shortly, American service members, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, labor groups sought a court injunction to block the administration from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been recalled to execute layoffs.

A report argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the administration to carry out firings, referencing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the same day that government employees got only a incomplete payment for the final days of the previous month but not the start of the current month, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the period.

Max Stier, the head of the advocacy group, condemned the political stalemate’s impact on federal employees.

This is unjust to make federal employees bear the burden because our leaders in the legislature and the administration have failed to keep our federal operations running,” Stier said. “Our air traffic controllers, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that members of Congress and top administration officials are still receiving salaries during the funding gap.