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The White House confirmed the initiation of government employee terminations on the end of the week, following through on earlier warnings linked to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

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

While the official provided no details on which departments were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that notices had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a DHS spokesperson noted that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Moreover, a labor organization for federal workers confirmed that employees at the Education Department would be affected by the reduction in force.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Labor representatives warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services used by millions of Americans and pledged to contest the moves in court.

This is shameful that the administration has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who deliver critical services to communities across the country,” said a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO responded to the announcement, declaring, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have declined to support a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is not expected to be resolved soon.

During a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted opposition lawmakers for rejecting the Republican proposal, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties and reopen the government,” the speaker stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions sought a court injunction to prevent the administration from carrying out any reductions in force during the funding gap. Moreover, a court official directed the administration to provide specifics on termination strategies, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been brought back to carry out layoffs.

A report contended that a government shutdown restricts the ability of the government to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been started before the shutdown began.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the same day that federal workers got only a incomplete payment covering the final days of September but excluding the start of October, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the month.

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

This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our leaders in the legislature and the White House have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” Stier said. “Our air traffic controllers, veterans’ healthcare providers, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

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