The White House commenced large-scale layoffs of federal employees on Friday as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Democratic opposition to resolve a government shutdown impacting public services. Amid the ongoing crisis entering its third week, Trump’s budget chief, Russ Vought, confirmed via social media that the administration was moving forward with firing a portion of the 750,000 public servants on furlough.
The Office of Management and Budget, overseen by Vought, indicated to AFP that the layoffs would be significant, although specific numbers and affected departments were not disclosed. A court document revealed that over 4,000 federal workers had been terminated, with more than 1,000 each from the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump reiterated his intention to leverage these layoffs to exert pressure on Democrats, noting that the dismissals would predominantly impact individuals affiliated with the Democratic party, as they were deemed responsible for the shutdown initiation. Democratic leaders rejected these threats as intimidation tactics, asserting that mass firings would not withstand legal scrutiny.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the White House for causing “deliberate chaos” through the abrupt firings orchestrated by Russell Vought. Unions representing 800,000 government employees sought a court order in San Francisco to halt the layoffs, with a hearing scheduled for October 16 to assess their legality.
Departments such as the Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Energy were reported to be dismissing employees due to the shutdown. Even those retaining their positions continue to endure financial strain as they remain unpaid, with the impasse forecasted to persist until at least the middle of the following week.
Additionally, 1.3 million active-duty military personnel are anticipated to miss their upcoming paychecks, marking an unprecedented occurrence in modern funding shutdowns. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed solemnity over the shutdown’s tenth day during a press briefing in the Capitol.
The shutdown commenced following the September 30 funding deadline, with Senate Democrats blocking attempts by Republicans to reopen federal agencies. The primary contention revolves around the Republicans’ reluctance to address expiring subsidies crucial for affordable health insurance for millions of Americans in the legislation.
As the shutdown prolongs, congressional members are seeking Trump’s intervention to break the impasse. However, the president’s focus has been diverted towards other matters, including brokering a Gaza ceasefire and deploying federal troops to support immigration enforcement in Democratic-led cities like Chicago and Portland.
Amidst the shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a rescheduled publication date for key inflation data from next week to October 24, attributing the delay to the government data release backlog caused by the shutdown. The publication of consumer price index data is essential for the accurate and timely distribution of Social Security benefits.