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Trump administration says firings of government workers has begun Trump administration says government worker layoffs have begun
(about 2 hours later)
Donald Trump's budget chief Russell VoughtDonald Trump's budget chief Russell Vought
The Trump administration has said it has started laying off federal workers, as the government shutdown battle continues.The Trump administration has said it has started laying off federal workers, as the government shutdown battle continues.
"The RIFs have begun," Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Managment and Budget, wrote on X."The RIFs have begun," Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Managment and Budget, wrote on X.
The Trump administration had threatened to use the government shutdown to issue RIFs, which stands for "reduction in force", to lay off thousands of federal workers.The Trump administration had threatened to use the government shutdown to issue RIFs, which stands for "reduction in force", to lay off thousands of federal workers.
An OMB spokesperson confirmed the cuts had started and "are substantial" but did not provide specific number of employees set to be fired.An OMB spokesperson confirmed the cuts had started and "are substantial" but did not provide specific number of employees set to be fired.
The American Federation of Government Employees union condemned the planned firings and called to end the shutdown. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told the BBC that reductions-in-force would be issued at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
"It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country," AFGE president Everett Kelley said in a statement. The Treasury Department also confirmed that RIF notices have begun.
"Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and un-elected leaders," Mr Kelley said. "It's time for Congress to do their jobs and negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately." Employees at the Department of Health and Human Resources "across multiple divisions have received reduction-in-force notices as a direct consequence of the Democrat-led government shutdown", spokesperson Andrew Nixon said.
The US government shutdown began ten days ago, after lawmakers could not reach a deal on a funding measure to keep the government open. Two major unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, have filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Vought's plans to carry out layoffs during the shutdown.
On Friday, they asked a federal court in Northern California to temporarily block the move.
"It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country," AFGE president Everett Kelley said.
"Federal workers are tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and un-elected leaders."
The US government shutdown began 10 days ago, after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on a funding measure to keep the government open.
"They held off for 10 days," Republican Senator John Thune told reporters, referring to the White House. "At some point they were going to have to make some of these decisions and prioritise where they're going to spend money when the government is shut down."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, accused Trump and Vought of causing "deliberate chaos".
The government shut down on 1 October after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a new funding bill that would keep the government open.
Democrats have refused to vote for a Republican spending plan that would reopen the government, saying it must include an agreement to preserve expiring tax credits that reduce health insurance costs for millions of Americans.
Democratic lawmakers also want to reverse Trump's cuts to Medicaid, which provides healthcare to elderly and low-income people.
Republicans accused Democrats of unnecessarily bringing the government to a halt, and have blamed them for the knock-on effects caused by the federal work stoppage.
A shutdown meant that "non-essential" federal workers would be placed on unpaid leave. It is currently affecting about 40% of the federal workforce - about 750,000 people.
Furloughed employees are legally supposed to receive back-pay after a shutdown ends and they return to work, but the Trump administration has insinuated this might not happen.
Significantly culling the federal workforce has been a long-term priority for Vought. The president and his budget chief have made no secret that they would use the unique opportunity provided to them by a government shutdown to make further firings.Significantly culling the federal workforce has been a long-term priority for Vought. The president and his budget chief have made no secret that they would use the unique opportunity provided to them by a government shutdown to make further firings.
On 2 October, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had met with Vought "to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent."On 2 October, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had met with Vought "to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent."
Before the shutdown, the White House budget office issued a memo to federal agencies telling them to prepare reduction-in-force plans, Politico reported.
The memo said agencies should consider employees or programmes whose funding would lapse due to the shutdown or were "not consistent with the President's priorities."
The Trump administration had already made significant cuts to the federal workforce since January through a combination of firings, buyouts, administrative leave and resignations.
The Partnership for Public Service, a bipartisan group studying the federal government, estimated the federal workforce had been reduced by about 200,000 employees as of 23 September.