News Summary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Education, and Commerce among others: 4,000 unpaid leave employees receive termination notices. The White House uses workforce reduction as a pressure tactic against the Democratic Party. Paychecks for military personnel are also expected to be delayed starting mid-month.
The White House announced on the 10th (local time) that it has begun reducing the federal government workforce, a consequence of the U.S. federal government shutdown, which has partially halted functions. As the shutdown, which is the direct cause, extends past ten days, with no agreement between the Republican and Democratic parties on the budget bill, this move is interpreted as President Donald Trump's tactic to pressure the Democratic Party with the "civil servant layoff" card.
Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced on his X (formerly Twitter) account that "RIF (Reduction-in-Force) has begun." While the White House did not disclose a specific scale, a White House official stated that it would "affect thousands of federal employees." The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that over 4,000 federal government agency employees have received layoff notices so far, including those from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, Homeland Security, Education, Treasury, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development.
Currently, hundreds of thousands of civil servants are on unpaid leave. Mass layoffs due to a shutdown are unprecedented. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the action, saying, "Nobody is forcing Trump and Vought to do this. They don't have to do it; they want to. This is deliberate chaos." Some Republican lawmakers also criticized the White House's announcement. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins stated, "I strongly oppose Director Vought's attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been temporarily furloughed due to a completely unnecessary government shutdown." House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican) warned at a press conference that 1.3 million active-duty military personnel would not receive their pay on the 15th due to the Democratic Party's "stubbornness."
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