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The White House confirmed the initiation of government employee terminations on the end of the week, following through on prior threats in response to the ongoing federal funding lapse, which is now poised to stretch into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for letting employees go.

While the official provided no details on which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that notices had been distributed within that department. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security representative noted that staff reductions would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a union representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on public services relied upon by the public and vowed to challenge the actions in court.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public across the country,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Congressional Democrats have refused to support a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be ended soon.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for not supporting the GOP proposal, which was approved in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, unions sought a temporary restraining order to block the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Additionally, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been recalled to execute layoffs.

A report contended that a funding lapse limits the ability of the administration to conduct terminations, citing guidance that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been started prior to the funding expired.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a incomplete payment for the end of the previous month but not the beginning of the current month, since appropriations lapsed at the beginning of the month.

A public service advocate, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the gridlock’s impact on government workers.

This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our leaders in the legislature and the White House have not succeeded to keep our government open and operational,” Stier stated. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that members of Congress and top administration officials are continuing to be paid during the shutdown.