Administration Reveals Government Employee Layoffs as Shutdown Approaches Third Week
Administration officials disclosed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, following through on prior threats linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set to stretch into its third straight week.
Formal Statement and Early Information
The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the government’s process for terminating staff.
While the official did not specify which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been issued within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security representative indicated that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Also, a labor organization for federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.
Union Response and Court Actions
Labor representatives cautions that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and pledged to challenge the actions in the legal system.
This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who provide critical services to communities across the country,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.
The largest labor federation in the US responded to the announcement, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”
Political Standoff and Budget Dispute
Congressional Democrats have refused to support a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved soon.
At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the GOP bill, which passed in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.
“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.”
Judicial and Practical Limits
Last week, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to block the government from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any federal employees had been brought back to execute layoffs.
An analysis argued that a funding lapse restricts the ability of the administration to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.
Impact on Workers
The layoffs occurred on the same day that government employees received only a incomplete payment covering the final days of the previous month but excluding the beginning of October, since funding lapsed at the start of the period.
A public service advocate, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the political stalemate’s impact on government workers.
“It is wrong to make federal employees bear the burden because our elected officials in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate stated. The air traffic controllers, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”
The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are continuing to be paid during the shutdown.
