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The White House confirmed the initiation of government employee terminations on Friday, making good on prior threats in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” indicating the official procedure for terminating staff.

While Vought provided no details on which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security representative noted that layoffs would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a union representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to contest the actions in the legal system.

This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who deliver critical services to the public across the country,” stated a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO responded to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to vote for a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved before then.

During a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for not supporting the Republican bill, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” the speaker stated. Beginning shortly, American service members, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to block the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the shutdown. Moreover, a court official directed the administration to disclose details on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any government staff had been brought back to execute staff reductions.

An analysis contended that a government shutdown restricts the authority of the administration to carry out firings, referencing guidance that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated before the shutdown began.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a partial paycheck covering the final days of September but excluding the start of the current month, since appropriations lapsed at the beginning of the period.

Max Stier, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make government staff bear the burden because our elected officials in Congress and the administration have failed to keep our federal operations open and operational,” Stier stated. “Our air traffic controllers, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are continuing to be paid amid the funding gap.