Administration Announces Federal Worker Job Cuts as Funding Gap Nears Third Week
Administration officials confirmed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, following through on prior threats in response to the continuing federal funding lapse, which is set to extend into its third straight week.
Official Announcement and Early Information
The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun,” indicating the government’s process for terminating staff.
Although Vought provided no details on which agencies were affected, a treasury spokesperson stated that notices had been issued within that department. Additionally, a DHS representative indicated that layoffs would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization for federal workers announced that members at the Education Department would be impacted by the staff cuts.
Labor Reaction and Court Actions
Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on services used by the public and vowed to challenge the actions in court.
This is shameful that the administration has used the funding lapse as an excuse to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” stated a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.
The AFL-CIO reacted to the news, declaring, “America’s unions will see you in court.”
Political Standoff and Budget Dispute
Congressional Democrats have declined to vote for a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have adjourned the Senate until the following week, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be resolved before then.
During a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, Mike Johnson, blasted Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican proposal, which was approved in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.
“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” Johnson said. Beginning shortly, military personnel, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”
Judicial and Practical Limits
Last week, unions sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the government from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and whether any federal employees had been recalled to carry out layoffs.
A report argued that a funding lapse limits the ability of the administration to conduct terminations, citing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.
Impact on Workers
The layoffs occurred on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck covering the end of the previous month but not the beginning of the current month, since funding expired at the beginning of the period.
A public service advocate, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the political stalemate’s impact on government workers.
This is unjust to make federal employees bear the burden because our leaders in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our federal operations running,” Stier said. The flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”
The irony is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid during the funding gap.
