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The White House confirmed the start of government employee terminations on Friday, making good on prior threats linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch 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,” indicating the government’s process for terminating staff.

While the official did not specify which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson noted that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by millions of Americans and pledged to contest the actions in court.

This is shameful that the administration has exploited the funding lapse as an excuse to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide essential functions to communities nationwide,” stated a national union president, who leads the AFGE.

The AFL-CIO reacted to the news, saying, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have refused to vote for a Republican-backed legislation to restore funding unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved soon.

During a press conference, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the Republican proposal, which passed in the House on a near party-line vote.

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 said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions filed for a court injunction to block the government from carrying out any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge directed the government to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any federal employees had been recalled to carry out layoffs.

A report argued that a government shutdown restricts the ability of the government to carry out firings, citing guidance that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been started before the funding expired.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the same day that federal workers got only a partial paycheck for the final days of September but not the start of the current month, since appropriations expired at the beginning of the period.

A public service advocate, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s effect on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make federal employees suffer because our leaders in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our government running,” Stier said. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.