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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 continuing federal funding lapse, which is now poised to extend into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

The director of the White House budget office posted on social media that “RIFs have begun,” indicating the government’s process for letting employees go.

While Vought did not specify which departments were impacted, a treasury spokesperson stated that notices had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security representative noted that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a labor organization for federal workers announced that members at the Education Department would be affected by the reduction in force.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and vowed to challenge the moves in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to the public nationwide,” said a national union president, representing the AFGE.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a Republican-backed bill to reopen the government unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be ended before then.

During a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican bill, which passed in the House on a near party-line vote.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions sought a court injunction to prevent the government from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Moreover, a court official ordered the government to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any federal employees had been brought back to execute layoffs.

A report argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been started before the funding expired.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the very day that government employees received only a incomplete payment for the final days of the previous month but not the start of the current month, since funding lapsed at the start of the month.

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

This is unjust to make government staff bear the burden because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have not succeeded to keep our government open and operational,” Stier said. “Our flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are still receiving salaries amid the funding gap.