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The White House confirmed the start of government employee terminations on Friday, making good on prior threats in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is now poised to extend into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

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

Although Vought did not specify which departments were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that layoff warnings had been distributed within that agency. Additionally, a DHS spokesperson indicated that layoffs would take place at the CISA. Also, a union for federal workers confirmed that employees at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Union Response and Legal Challenges

Labor representatives cautions that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services used by the public and pledged to contest the actions in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire numerous employees who deliver essential functions to communities nationwide,” stated a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO reacted to the news, saying, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Funding Battle

Congressional Democrats have refused to vote for a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it includes healthcare-centered concessions. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until next Tuesday, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be ended soon.

During a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted Senate Democrats for not supporting the GOP proposal, which was approved in the House on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to fulfill their duties and reopen the government,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, military personnel, who often live on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and if any federal employees had been brought back to execute layoffs.

An analysis argued that a government shutdown limits the authority of the administration to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that acknowledged any long-term staff cuts need to have been started prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers received only a incomplete payment covering the final days of the previous month but not the start of October, since appropriations lapsed at the beginning of the month.

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

“It is wrong to make federal employees 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 food inspectors are not at fault for this funding crisis.”

The irony is that lawmakers and top administration officials are still receiving salaries amid the funding gap.