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The White House confirmed the initiation of federal worker layoffs on Friday, making good on earlier warnings linked to the continuing federal funding lapse, which is set to extend into its third straight week.

Formal Statement and Initial Details

The director of the White House budget office posted on a public platform that “RIFs have begun,” indicating the government’s process for letting employees go.

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

Labor Reaction and Legal Challenges

Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on services used by the public and vowed to contest the moves in the legal system.

“It is disgraceful that the administration has used the funding lapse as an pretext to illegally fire numerous employees who provide essential functions to communities across the country,” said a national union president, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

The AFL-CIO responded to the announcement, declaring, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Congressional Democrats have declined to support a Republican-backed legislation to restore funding unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. After multiple unsuccessful votes, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, indicating the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved before then.

At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, criticized Senate Democrats for rejecting the Republican proposal, which passed in the House on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” Johnson stated. “Starting next week, military personnel, many of whom live on tight budgets, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Judicial and Practical Limits

Last week, unions sought a temporary restraining order to block the government from carrying out any reductions in force during the shutdown. Moreover, a court official directed the administration to disclose details on termination strategies, impacted departments, and if any government staff had been brought back to carry out layoffs.

A report argued that a government shutdown limits the ability of the administration to conduct terminations, citing guidance that admitted any long-term staff cuts need to have been initiated before the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations took place on the same day that federal workers got only a incomplete payment covering the end of the previous month but not the beginning of October, since funding expired at the start of the month.

A public service advocate, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the political stalemate’s effect on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make federal employees suffer because our elected officials in Congress and the White House have not succeeded to keep our government running,” the advocate stated. “Our flight regulators, VA nurses, smoke jumpers and safety officials are not responsible for this government shutdown.”

A notable point is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are continuing to be paid amid the funding gap.