WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an unprecedented move to escalate the government shutdown fight, the Trump administration has begun mass firings of federal workers, a drastic step that goes far beyond typical furloughs.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The government shutdown is now in its tenth day. Critics, including Democrats and union leaders, immediately condemned the action as illegal and politically motivated.
From Furloughs to Firings
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought confirmed the terminations Friday on X, using the bureaucratic shorthand: “The RIFs have begun” (Reduction in Force).
Unlike a furlough, which temporarily sends workers home with the expectation of back pay when the government reopens, a RIF is a permanent termination of employment.
“This goes far beyond what usually happens in a shutdown,” one longtime official noted. “Workers aren’t just being furloughed—they’re being terminated.”
A budget office spokesperson confirmed the cuts were “substantial.” Agencies receiving the first RIF notices include the Education Department, which has already seen its workforce shrink significantly under the administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The White House had previously directed agencies to submit layoff plans for programs that are unfunded or deemed “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” President Donald Trump hinted that the cuts were imminent, warning that many of the terminated jobs “will never come back.”
Legal Battles and Political Blame
The mass firings triggered an immediate and strong reaction:
- Unions Take Action: The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed an emergency court motion Friday to stop the layoffs, calling the move a “disgraceful” and illegal abuse of power designed to illegally fire thousands of workers.
- Democrats Respond: Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated that the shutdown “does not give Trump or Vought new, special powers” to target workers.
- Impasse Deepens: The firings come as the government funding impasse continues, with Congress out of session. Democrats remain firm, demanding an extension of cut health care benefits to reopen the government. Some Republicans quietly questioned whether the “threats of mass firings” were helping bipartisan talks.
The nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service warned that the reductions will “further hollow out our federal government” and “rob it of critical expertise,” noting that over 200,000 federal workers had already left government since the start of the administration through prior layoffs, retirements, and buyouts.
Is there a specific detail, like the agencies most affected or the legal arguments against the firings, that you would like me to elaborate on?
