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Administration officials disclosed the start of government employee terminations on the end of the week, following through on earlier warnings in response to the continuing federal funding lapse, which is now poised to stretch into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Initial Details

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for letting employees go.

While the official provided no details on which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a union for federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Labor representatives warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and pledged to challenge the actions in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful 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 Everett Kelley, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After repeated failed attempts, 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 media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for rejecting the GOP proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a near party-line vote.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” Johnson said. Beginning shortly, American service members, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the government from carrying out any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge directed the government to disclose details on termination strategies, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been recalled to execute layoffs.

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

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the same day that government employees got only a incomplete payment for the final days of September but not the beginning of October, since funding expired at the start of the period.

Max Stier, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the gridlock’s impact on government workers.

“It is wrong to make federal employees suffer because our leaders in the legislature and the administration have failed to keep our government running,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries amid the funding gap.