The White House disclosed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, following through on earlier warnings linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third straight week.
Russell Vought posted on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for letting employees go.
While Vought provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that notices had been distributed within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS spokesperson noted that staff reductions would take place at the CISA. Also, a union for federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be impacted by the reduction in force.
Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services relied upon by the public and pledged to contest the moves in court.
“It is disgraceful that the administration has exploited the funding lapse as an excuse to illegally fire numerous employees who deliver essential functions to the public nationwide,” stated a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.
The AFL-CIO responded to the announcement, declaring, “America’s unions will see you in court.”
Congressional Democrats have refused to support a Republican-backed legislation to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be ended soon.
At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for not supporting the GOP bill, which passed in the House on a near party-line vote.
“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 stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”
Last week, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the government from carrying out any layoffs during the funding gap. Moreover, a court official ordered the administration to disclose details on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been brought back to carry out layoffs.
A report contended that a funding lapse limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, citing official advice that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been started before the funding expired.
The layoffs occurred on the very day that federal workers received only a incomplete payment covering the end of September but excluding the beginning of the current month, since appropriations expired at the start of the period.
Max Stier, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on federal employees.
This is unjust to make federal employees suffer because our elected officials in Congress and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate stated. The flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”
A notable point is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid amid the funding gap.
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