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Administration officials disclosed the start of government employee terminations on Friday, following through on earlier warnings in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set to stretch into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

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

Although Vought provided no details on which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that staff reductions would take place at the CISA. Also, a labor organization for federal workers announced that members at the Department of Education would be affected by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Court Actions

Labor representatives cautions that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by the public and vowed to contest the actions in court.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide essential functions to communities nationwide,” said Everett Kelley, representing the AFGE.

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

Legislative Impasse and Funding Battle

Congressional Democrats have refused to support a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. 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 Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the GOP proposal, which passed in the House on a near party-line vote.

“This is the last paycheck that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to fulfill their duties and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Last week, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to block the government from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a court official ordered the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and whether any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.

An analysis argued that a government shutdown restricts the authority of the government to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated before the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

These terminations occurred on the very day that federal workers received only a incomplete payment covering the end of the previous month but not the start of October, since appropriations lapsed at the beginning of the month.

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

This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our leaders in Congress and the White House have failed to keep our government open and operational,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not at fault for this government shutdown.”

The irony is that members of Congress and top administration officials are still receiving salaries during the funding gap.