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The White House confirmed the initiation of federal worker terminations on the end of the week, making good on prior threats linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

Russell Vought posted on a public platform that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the government’s process for letting employees go.

While the official did not specify which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that layoff warnings had been issued within that agency. Furthermore, a DHS representative noted that staff reductions would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a labor organization for federal workers confirmed that members at the Education Department would be affected by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on public services used by millions of Americans and pledged to challenge the actions in court.

“It is disgraceful that the government has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who provide critical services to the public across the country,” said a national union president, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have refused to vote for a Republican-backed bill to reopen the government unless it includes provisions related to health policy. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, meaning the standoff is unlikely to be ended soon.

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

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and reopen the government,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Last week, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge ordered the government to disclose details on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any government staff had been brought back to carry out staff reductions.

A report argued that a government shutdown restricts the ability of the administration to conduct terminations, citing guidance that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated before the funding expired.

Impact on Workers

These terminations occurred on the very day that federal workers received only a partial paycheck for the end of September but not the start of the current month, since funding expired at the beginning 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 Congress and the White House have failed to keep our federal operations open and operational,” Stier said. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

A notable point is that lawmakers and top administration officials are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.