Trump administration announces massive federal worker layoffs as US govt shutdown nears third week

The White House on Friday announced major layoffs of federal workers, insisting that it was made in response to the US government shutdown. The shutdown, which has paralysed the country’s government sector, is set to stretch into a third week.

Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, took to social media to announce that “RIFs have begun”, referring to the government’s reduction-in-force procedure to let employees go. However, he provided no details on the department and agencies where the layoffs are taking place.

Soon after Vought’s announcement, a US Treasury spokesperson said that notices had been distributed within the department. Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Guardian that layoffs would also happen at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. And a union representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would also be affected by the reduction in force.

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In light of the firings, the union leaders warned that the move would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by millions of Americans, and pledged to challenge the moves in court. “It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents 800,000 federal and DC government workers.

The latest firings came after Vought warned that the federal agencies could slash jobs if the government shutdown continues. However, US President Donald Trump’s administration largely held off sending notices after funding lapsed last week.

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Unions resist the move

The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labour unions in the US, responded to Vought’s post on Friday, saying: “America’s unions will see you in court.” Last week, the AFGE and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) filed for a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from carrying out any reductions in force (RIFs) during the shutdown.

The unions filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on Friday after Vought’s latest announcement. “These mass firings are illegal and will have devastating effects on the services millions of Americans rely on every day. Whether it’s food inspectors, public safety workers, or the countless other public service workers who keep America running, federal employees should not be bargaining chips in this administration’s political games," said Lee Saunders, president of the AFSCME, in a statement on Friday.

“By illegally firing these workers, the administration isn’t just targeting federal employees; it’s hurting their families and the communities they serve every day. We will pursue every available legal avenue to stop this administration’s unlawful attacks on public service workers’ freedoms and jobs," the statement further reads.

Democrats remain stern

In the midst of all this, Congress Democrats have refused to vote for a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it includes an array of healthcare-centred concessions. In the span of almost three weeks, the party has managed to hold seven unsuccessful votes on the spending bills.

In light of this, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be resolved before then. It is important to note that the layoffs are coming on the same day as government employees received only a partial paycheck covering the final days of September but not the beginning of October, since appropriations lapsed at the start of the month.

While addressing a press conference on Friday morning, US House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Senate Democrats for not supporting the GOP’s bill, which passed his chamber on a near party-line vote. If the government is not reopened by next Wednesday, US military personnel are set to miss a paycheck.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck. If Democrats don’t end this shutdown by Monday, then that October 15 date will pass us by.”

The speaker of the House also kept the US House of Representatives out of session throughout the shutdown in a bid to put more pressure on the Senate Democrats. Earlier this week, a group of House Democrats sent the speaker a letter asking him to allow a vote on legislation that would ensure US troops get paid during a shutdown, but Johnson has refused to bring lawmakers back to Washington.