White House Announces Government Worker Layoffs as Shutdown Nears Third Week
Administration officials confirmed the initiation of government employee layoffs on Friday, making good on prior threats in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is set to extend into its third consecutive week.
Formal Statement and Early Information
The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the government’s procedure for letting employees go.
Although the official provided no details on which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been issued within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS representative indicated that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers confirmed that employees at the Education Department would be affected by the staff cuts.
Labor Reaction and Court Actions
Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to challenge the moves in the legal system.
This is shameful that the administration has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who deliver essential functions to communities nationwide,” said a national union president, representing the AFGE.
The largest labor federation in the US responded to the announcement, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”
Legislative Impasse and Funding Battle
Congressional Democrats have refused to vote for a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be ended soon.
At a media briefing, the GOP leader in the House, Mike Johnson, criticized opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican proposal, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.
Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”
Legal and Operational Constraints
Previously, labor groups filed for a court injunction to prevent the government from implementing any reductions in force during the funding gap. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the government to provide specifics on termination strategies, impacted departments, and if any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.
A report argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, citing official advice that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated before the funding expired.
Impact on Workers
These terminations took place on the very day that government employees got only a incomplete payment covering the final days of the previous month but not the beginning of the current month, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the month.
A public service advocate, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s effect on government workers.
“It is wrong to make federal employees suffer because our elected officials in Congress and the administration have not succeeded to keep our government running,” Stier said. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”
The irony is that members of Congress and top administration officials are still receiving salaries amid the shutdown.
