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Administration officials confirmed the start of government employee terminations on the end of the week, making good on earlier warnings in response to the continuing 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 posted on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the official process for letting employees go.

While the official provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been distributed within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS representative noted that layoffs would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization for federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Union leaders cautions that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services used by the public and vowed to contest the actions in court.

This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities nationwide,” said a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Congressional Democrats have refused to support a Republican-backed bill to reopen the government unless it includes 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 deadlock is not expected to be resolved soon.

During a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, blasted opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican proposal, which was approved in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions sought a court injunction to prevent the government from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a court official directed the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and whether 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 carry out firings, citing official advice that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

These terminations occurred on the very day that federal workers received only a incomplete payment covering the end of September but excluding the beginning of the current month, since appropriations expired at the beginning of the month.

Max Stier, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s impact on government workers.

This is unjust to make federal employees bear the burden because our leaders in the legislature and the administration have failed to keep our government running,” Stier said. The air traffic controllers, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the funding gap.