The Trump administration began laying off thousands of federal workers across a range of government agencies on Friday, the tenth day of the prolonged U.S. government shutdown. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon that the number of federal workers who will be laid off will “be a lot,” and reiterated his promise that the cuts would be “Democrat-oriented,” targeting programs he claims are favored by Democratic officials.
These permanent job cuts, officially known as “Reductions in Force” (RIFs), are distinct from temporary furloughs, as furloughed employees return to their positions once a shutdown ends. The layoffs were first announced by Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who stated that the RIFs had begun and were “substantial.” RIF notices went to workers at key departments, including the Treasury and Health and Human Services (HHS). A filing by the Justice Department revealed that at least 4,000 federal workers received RIF notices, with Treasury and HHS seeing the largest cuts, exceeding 1,100 employees apiece.
Legal Challenges and Political Condemnation
The mass firings immediately triggered a legal challenge from federal workers’ unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees and AFSCME, who filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the RIFs. A hearing for a temporary restraining order is scheduled for Wednesday in San Francisco. AFSCME President Lee Saunders strongly condemned the firings as “illegal” and having “devastating effects on the services millions of Americans rely on every day.” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett countered, placing the blame for the job losses on Democrats.
The mass firings are unusual for a government shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused President Trump and Vought of “callously choosing to hurt people” and creating “deliberate chaos.” Republican Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also publicly opposed the move, arguing that “Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency.”
Shutdown Stalemate and Service Strain
The political stalemate continues because Democratic senators are refusing to vote for a Republican stopgap funding plan, demanding that any resolution must include an agreement to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) tax credits. The shutdown is severely straining essential services, including air travel. Air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay, are set to miss a full paycheck on October 28 if the impasse is not resolved. Their union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, plans to start informational leafleting at major airports to highlight how the shutdown introduces unnecessary risk to the National Airspace System.
What The Author Thinks
The Trump administration’s politically driven decision to implement “Reductions in Force” during a government shutdown is a profound, cynical act of weaponizing federal employment for political gain. By permanently dismantling agencies and targeting those perceived as “Democrat-oriented,” the administration transforms a temporary budgetary crisis into a permanent ideological restructuring of the civil service. This action demonstrates a strategic disregard for the legal and ethical separation of the federal workforce from partisan politics, confirming that for this administration, punishing political opposition through bureaucratic means is prioritized over the consistent delivery of essential public services.
Featured image credit: The Berkshire Edge
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