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Administration officials confirmed the start of federal worker terminations on Friday, making good on earlier warnings in response to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is set to extend into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun,” indicating the official procedure for terminating staff.

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. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security representative noted that staff reductions would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that members at the Education Department would be affected by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Labor representatives warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services relied upon by millions of Americans and vowed to contest the actions in the legal system.

This is shameful that the administration has used the funding lapse as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who deliver critical services to the public nationwide,” stated a national union president, representing the AFGE.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have refused to support a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be ended soon.

At a media briefing, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the GOP proposal, which was approved in the House on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and reopen the government,” the speaker said. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge ordered the government to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and if any federal employees had been recalled to carry out layoffs.

A report argued that a funding lapse restricts the ability of the government to conduct terminations, citing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations occurred on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck for the end of September but excluding the start of the current month, since funding expired at the beginning of the period.

Max Stier, the president of the advocacy group, criticized the gridlock’s effect on government workers.

“It is wrong to make government staff suffer because our elected officials in Congress and the administration have failed to keep our government running,” Stier said. The flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

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