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The White House confirmed the start of government employee terminations on Friday, following through on prior threats linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

Russell Vought wrote on social media that “RIFs have begun,” indicating the official process for terminating staff.

While Vought provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that notices had been distributed within that department. Furthermore, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that staff reductions would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a union representing federal workers confirmed that employees at the Education Department would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Union leaders cautions that the terminations would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and vowed to contest the moves in court.

This is shameful that the government has used the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who provide critical services to the public nationwide,” said a national union president, who leads the AFGE.

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

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following repeated failed attempts, the GOP leadership in the Senate have adjourned the Senate until the following week, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be resolved soon.

At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized Senate Democrats for not supporting the Republican proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that government employees will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. Beginning shortly, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a complete payment.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Last week, labor groups sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from implementing any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a federal judge ordered the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and if any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.

A report contended that a government shutdown limits the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated before the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the same day that federal workers received only a partial paycheck for the final days of September but excluding the beginning of October, since funding expired at the start of the month.

A public service advocate, the president of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on government workers.

This is unjust to make federal employees bear the burden because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have failed to keep our government running,” Stier said. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that members of Congress and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries during the shutdown.