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Administration officials confirmed the start of federal worker terminations on the end of the week, making good on prior threats in response to the ongoing federal funding lapse, which is set to extend into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

Russell Vought posted on a public platform that “reductions in force have begun,” indicating the official procedure for letting employees go.

While Vought did not specify which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been issued within that department. Additionally, a DHS representative indicated that staff reductions would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers confirmed that employees at the Education Department would be affected by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on public services used by the public and pledged to contest the actions in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has exploited the funding lapse as an pretext to illegally fire numerous employees who provide essential functions to the public nationwide,” stated a national union president, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is not expected to be resolved soon.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican bill, which was approved in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, American service members, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions filed for a court injunction to block the government from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Moreover, a court official ordered the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and whether any federal employees had been recalled to carry out staff reductions.

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

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck for the final days of the previous month but not the start of October, since funding lapsed at the start of the month.

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

“It is wrong to make government staff bear the burden because our leaders in the legislature and the White House have failed to keep our government open and operational,” the advocate said. The air traffic controllers, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”

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