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The White House confirmed the start of government employee layoffs on the end of the week, making good on prior threats linked to the ongoing federal funding lapse, which is set to extend into its third straight week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” referring to the government’s procedure for letting employees go.

While Vought provided no details on which agencies were impacted, a representative from the Treasury Department confirmed that notices had been distributed within that department. Furthermore, a DHS representative noted that layoffs would also occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Moreover, a labor organization for federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education would be impacted by the staff cuts.

Labor Reaction and Court Actions

Union leaders cautions that the layoffs would have “devastating effects” on public services used by the public and vowed to challenge the actions in court.

This is shameful that the government has used the funding lapse as an excuse to wrongfully terminate numerous employees who provide critical services to communities nationwide,” said a national union president, who leads the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO reacted to the news, declaring, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Political Standoff and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have refused to support a GOP-supported bill to restore funding unless it includes provisions related to health policy. After repeated failed attempts, 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 opposition lawmakers for not supporting the GOP bill, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom 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 carrying out any reductions in force during the shutdown. Additionally, a court official directed the government to provide specifics on layoff plans, impacted departments, and if any federal employees had been brought back to carry out staff reductions.

A report argued that a funding lapse limits the authority of the administration to carry out firings, citing guidance that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

The layoffs took place on the very day that federal workers got only a incomplete payment covering the final days of the previous month but excluding the beginning of the current month, since appropriations lapsed at the start of the month.

A public service advocate, the head of the advocacy group, condemned the political stalemate’s effect on government workers.

This is unjust to make federal employees bear the burden because our elected officials in Congress and the administration have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” Stier stated. The flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

A notable point is that lawmakers and top administration officials are still receiving salaries during the funding gap.