The White House confirmed the start of federal worker layoffs on the end of the week, making good on prior threats in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set to extend into its third straight week.
Russell Vought posted on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the government’s process for letting employees go.
Although Vought did not specify which agencies were impacted, a treasury spokesperson stated that notices had been distributed within that department. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that layoffs would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.
Labor representatives warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on public services used by the public and vowed to contest the actions in the legal system.
This is shameful that the government has used the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public nationwide,” said Everett Kelley, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.
The AFL-CIO reacted to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”
Congressional Democrats have declined to vote for a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, meaning the standoff is not expected to be resolved before then.
During a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, blasted Senate Democrats for not supporting the GOP proposal, which was approved 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 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.”
Last week, labor groups sought a court injunction to block the government from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Additionally, a court official ordered the administration to disclose details on termination strategies, affected agencies, and whether any federal employees had been brought back to carry out layoffs.
A report argued that a government shutdown restricts the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been started prior to the shutdown began.
These terminations took place on the same day that federal workers got only a partial paycheck covering the final days of September but not the start of the current month, since funding expired at the start of the month.
Max Stier, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on government workers.
This is unjust to make federal employees suffer because our leaders in Congress and the administration have not succeeded to keep our government running,” Stier stated. “Our air traffic controllers, veterans’ healthcare providers, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”
A notable point is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.
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