Trump Administration Announces Mass Layoffs of Federal Employees

What Happened?

The Trump Administration announced an unspecified number of layoffs for federal employees, which the Office of Management and Budget called ‘substantial.’ President Trump had threatened to begin mass layoffs if the U.S. government shutdown continued, and he now appears to be following through.

The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees sued the Trump administration on Sept. 30 over the president's repeated threats of layoffs. The suit argues firing workers during the shutdown is an abuse of power that strips federal employees of back-pay rights and violates agencies’ statutory duties. The outcome of the lawsuits is still pending.

Why it Matters

As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters its second week, neither Republicans nor Democrats appear ready to compromise in order to pass new legislation to reopen the government. This is the twenty-second federal government shutdown in the past fifty years, but in none of the previous closures were federal workers fired.

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During previous shutdowns, civil service employees were placed on furlough for the cessation of operations, receiving back pay after the government reopened. For the time being, thousands of federal workers remain in limbo.

President Trump has also threatened to cut several ‘Democrat programs,’ seemingly not realizing most federal programs are popular in both red and blue states. Meanwhile, the fate of fired federal workers will likely be determined in court. The Trump Administration fired thousands of federal workers earlier in the year through the Department of Government Efficiency, but many of those workers were reinstated after court rulings determined their termination was unlawful.

Member of the U.S. military received their paychecks on October 1^st, even though the shutdown had already begun. However, if the government does not receive additional funding by October 15^th, it’s possible some military members may not get paid on time. Public anger over military members not getting paid has been directed at leaders of both major political parties, increasing the pressure on them to reach a new deal and pass a new spending bill.

Since the government shutdown began, Congress has held eight separate votes to attempt to pass new funding legislation, but disagreements between Democrats and Republicans remain firmly in place. Each party believes it will be able to blame the other for the shutdown, so they have been unwilling to give in. With the Senate recessed until next week, the shutdown is certain to last at least until Senators return to Washington, D.C. 

How it Affects You

The American public is beginning to feel the impact of the federal government shutdown. Delays for air travelers have increased due to staffing shortages for air traffic controllers and other essential personnel. UPS has reportedly started discarding parcels which have been stacking up due to export and import tariffs, meaning thousands of people who sent or are expecting packages have not been receiving them. 

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