The Office of Management and Budget at the White House announced on Friday that significant layoffs of federal employees have commenced. This move by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration aims to increase pressure on Democratic lawmakers during the ongoing government shutdown, now in its tenth day.
Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, stated on the social media platform X that the implementation of reduction-in-force plans, known as RIFs, has begun to downsize the federal government workforce. A court filing revealed that over 4,000 employees are slated for termination, with the exact numbers subject to change due to the evolving funding situation.
The Treasury Department faces the largest impact, with over 1,400 job cuts, followed by the Health and Human Services Department with more than 1,100 layoffs. Additionally, the Education Department, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the departments of Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency, are set to dismiss hundreds of employees, although the specific programs affected remain unclear.
This unprecedented action by Trump’s budget office amplifies the already strained relationship between the White House and Congress during the shutdown, where discussions to resolve the impasse are minimal. Normally, furloughed federal workers are reinstated with back pay post-shutdown, but approximately 750,000 employees are expected to be furloughed this time.
Despite the turmoil, President Trump assured that U.S. troops’ pay would be ensured by tapping into all available funds within the Defense Department. The administration’s decision to lay off federal workers has drawn criticism from prominent Republicans, with some attributing the shutdown and subsequent layoffs to political maneuvering rather than necessity.
The White House had foreshadowed these actions before the shutdown, instructing federal agencies to submit plans for reducing their workforce, particularly targeting programs not aligned with the President’s priorities. Notices of layoffs have already been issued at various agencies, including the Education Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The American Federation of Government Employees has legally challenged the layoffs, claiming they are punitive and an abuse of authority. Democrats have contested the legality of the firings, but Trump’s administration remains resolute in its stance, hinting at more job cuts in the coming days.