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The White House confirmed the start of federal worker terminations on Friday, making good on earlier warnings linked to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set 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,” indicating the official procedure for letting employees go.

While the official did not specify which departments were affected, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that layoff warnings had been issued within that department. Additionally, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson noted that layoffs would take place at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Also, a union for federal workers announced that employees at the Department of Education would be affected by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Labor representatives warned that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on services used by the public and vowed to challenge the actions in the legal system.

This is shameful that the administration has used the government shutdown as an pretext to illegally fire numerous employees who deliver critical services to the public across the country,” said Everett Kelley, 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 declined to vote for a Republican-backed legislation to reopen the government unless it includes provisions related to health policy. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have adjourned the Senate until the following week, indicating the deadlock is not expected to be ended soon.

During a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, blasted Senate Democrats for rejecting the Republican bill, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that government employees will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson stated. Beginning shortly, American service members, who often live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Previously, labor groups sought a court injunction to block the government from implementing any layoffs during the shutdown. Moreover, a federal judge directed the administration to provide specifics on layoff plans, affected agencies, and if any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.

An analysis argued that a funding lapse limits the ability of the government to carry out firings, referencing guidance that admitted any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated before the shutdown began.

Impact on Workers

The layoffs took place on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck covering the final days of September but excluding the start of October, since appropriations expired at the beginning of the period.

Max Stier, the president of the advocacy group, criticized the gridlock’s impact on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make federal employees bear the burden because our elected officials in the legislature and the administration have not succeeded to keep our government running,” the advocate said. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

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