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Administration officials confirmed the start of federal worker terminations on Friday, following through on earlier warnings linked to the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now poised to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

Russell Vought wrote on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the official procedure for terminating staff.

While Vought did not specify which departments were impacted, a treasury spokesperson confirmed that layoff warnings 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 members at the Department of Education would be impacted by the reduction in force.

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

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

This is shameful that the government has used the funding lapse as an pretext to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” said Everett Kelley, who leads the AFGE.

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

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to support a GOP-supported legislation to reopen the government unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. Following multiple unsuccessful votes, the GOP leadership in the Senate have adjourned the Senate until next Tuesday, indicating the standoff is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a press conference, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, blasted Senate Democrats for rejecting the GOP bill, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Last week, labor groups filed for a court injunction to block the administration from carrying out any layoffs during the shutdown. Additionally, a court official ordered the government to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and if any federal employees had been recalled to execute layoffs.

A report argued that a funding lapse restricts the authority of the administration to conduct terminations, referencing guidance that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been initiated prior to the funding expired.

Impact on Workers

These terminations took place on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck for the end of the previous month but excluding the beginning of October, since funding lapsed at the beginning of the period.

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

This is unjust to make government staff suffer because our leaders in Congress and the White House have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate said. The flight regulators, veterans’ healthcare providers, wildland firefighters and safety officials are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

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