🔗 Share this article White House Announces Government Worker Job Cuts as Shutdown Nears Third Week Administration officials disclosed the initiation of government employee layoffs on the end of the week, making good on earlier warnings in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third consecutive week. Official Announcement and Early Information Russell Vought posted on social media that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for terminating staff. While Vought did not specify which agencies were affected, a treasury spokesperson stated that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that layoffs would take place at the CISA. Moreover, a labor organization representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the staff cuts. Union Response and Court Actions Union leaders cautions that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to challenge the actions in court. “It is disgraceful that the government has exploited the government shutdown as an excuse to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities nationwide,” said Everett Kelley, who leads the AFGE. The largest labor federation in the US responded to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.” Political Standoff and Budget Dispute Congressional Democrats have refused to support a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be ended before then. At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized opposition lawmakers for not supporting the GOP proposal, which passed in the House on a near party-line vote. “This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.” Legal and Operational Constraints Last week, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to block the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the funding gap. Additionally, a court official directed the administration to disclose details on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been brought back to carry out staff reductions. A report contended that a government shutdown restricts the ability of the government to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated before the funding expired. Consequences for Employees These terminations took place on the same day that government employees received only a partial paycheck for the final days of the previous month but not the beginning of the current month, since appropriations expired at the beginning of the period. A public service advocate, the head of the advocacy group, condemned the gridlock’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 not succeeded to keep our government running,” the advocate stated. “Our air traffic controllers, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.” The irony is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.