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The White House disclosed the start of federal worker terminations on Friday, making good on prior threats in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the official process for terminating staff.

While the official did not specify which agencies were affected, a treasury spokesperson stated that layoff warnings had been issued within that department. Furthermore, a DHS representative indicated that layoffs would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be impacted by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Labor representatives warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services used by the public and vowed to challenge the actions in court.

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

The largest labor federation in the US reacted to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to vote for a GOP-supported legislation to restore funding unless it contains provisions related to health policy. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is not expected to be resolved soon.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, blasted Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican proposal, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, labor groups sought a court injunction to block the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the administration to disclose details on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any government staff had been brought back to carry out staff reductions.

A report contended that a funding lapse limits the ability of the administration to carry out firings, citing official advice that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations occurred on the very day that government employees received only a incomplete payment covering the end of September but not the beginning of October, since appropriations lapsed at the start of the month.

A public service advocate, the president of the advocacy group, criticized the gridlock’s impact on government workers.

This is unjust to make government staff bear the burden because our leaders in the legislature and the White House have not succeeded to keep our government running,” Stier said. The air traffic controllers, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”

A notable point is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.