🔗 Share this article White House Announces Federal Employee Job Cuts as Funding Gap Nears Three-Week Mark Administration officials disclosed the start of federal worker terminations on the end of the week, making good on prior threats in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third straight week. Formal Statement and Early Information The director of the White House budget office wrote on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for letting employees go. Although Vought did not specify which departments were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS spokesperson noted that layoffs would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a union representing federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be affected by the staff cuts. Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges Labor representatives warned that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on services used by the public and vowed to contest the actions in court. This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who deliver essential functions to the public nationwide,” stated a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees. The largest labor federation in the US responded to the news, saying, “America’s unions will see you in court.” Political Standoff and Funding Battle Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until the following week, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved before then. At a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, Mike Johnson, criticized opposition lawmakers for not supporting the GOP proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis. “This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and reopen the government,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.” Judicial and Practical Limits Previously, labor groups filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, impacted departments, and whether any federal employees had been recalled to execute staff reductions. An analysis contended that a government shutdown limits the authority of the administration to conduct terminations, citing official advice that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been started before the shutdown began. Consequences for Employees These terminations took place on the same day that government employees got only a incomplete payment for the end of the previous month but excluding the start of October, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the month. Max Stier, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s effect on federal employees. This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations open and operational,” the advocate said. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.” The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are continuing to be paid amid the shutdown.