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The White House confirmed the start of federal worker layoffs on Friday, following through on prior threats in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

Russell Vought wrote on a public platform that “reductions in force have begun,” indicating the government’s procedure for letting employees go.

Although Vought provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that layoff warnings had been distributed within that department. Additionally, a DHS representative indicated that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a labor organization for federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services relied upon by the public and vowed to contest the moves in court.

This is shameful that the government has exploited the funding lapse as an pretext to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who provide essential functions to communities across the country,” said a national union president, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

The largest labor federation in the US responded to the announcement, declaring, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to vote for a GOP-supported legislation to restore funding unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a media briefing, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican proposal, which was approved in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers 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 on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to block the government from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Additionally, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been recalled to carry out staff reductions.

An analysis argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been started before the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a partial paycheck covering the final days of the previous month but excluding the beginning of October, 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 political stalemate’s effect on government workers.

“It is wrong to make government staff suffer because our leaders in Congress and the White House have not succeeded to keep our government open and operational,” the advocate stated. The flight regulators, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

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