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Administration officials confirmed the start of government employee layoffs on Friday, following through on earlier warnings in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

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

Although the official did not specify which departments were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that notices had been issued within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS representative indicated that staff reductions would take place at the CISA. Moreover, a labor organization representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Labor representatives cautions that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on public services relied upon by the public and vowed to contest the moves in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the government has used the funding lapse as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities nationwide,” stated Everett Kelley, who leads the AFGE.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have refused to support a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be ended soon.

During a media briefing, the GOP leader in the House, the speaker, blasted opposition lawmakers for not supporting the Republican bill, 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 fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, labor groups filed for a court injunction to block the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge directed the government to disclose details on layoff plans, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been recalled to carry out layoffs.

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

Consequences for Employees

These terminations occurred on the same day that government employees got only a incomplete payment for the end of September but not the start of October, since funding expired at the start of the month.

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

This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our leaders in the legislature and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations open and operational,” the advocate stated. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that members of Congress and top administration officials are continuing to be paid during the shutdown.