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Administration officials disclosed the start of government employee terminations on Friday, following through on earlier warnings in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is set to extend into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

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 Vought provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security representative indicated that layoffs would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a union representing federal workers announced that employees at the Education Department would be affected by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders cautions that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on public services relied upon by the public and pledged to challenge the actions in court.

This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire numerous employees who provide essential functions to the public across the country,” stated 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.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have refused to vote for a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have adjourned the Senate until the following week, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for not supporting the Republican proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson said. Beginning shortly, military personnel, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to block the government from implementing any layoffs during the funding gap. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been recalled to execute layoffs.

An analysis contended that a government shutdown limits the ability of the administration to carry out firings, citing official advice that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been started prior to the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

These terminations took place on the same day that federal workers received only a partial paycheck covering the final days of September but excluding the start of October, since appropriations expired at the beginning of the period.

A public service advocate, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the political stalemate’s impact on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make government staff suffer because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

A notable point is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid during the funding gap.