WASHINGTON – The White House asserted Thursday that the vast majority of planned federal layoffs are unaffected by a recent court order temporarily blocking firings, despite a judge’s intervention halting the governance’s plans to dismiss employees during the ongoing government shutdown.
The dispute centers on a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions challenging the legality of the Trump administration’s strategy to implement layoffs during a shutdown, arguing it circumvents congressional authority over federal funding. While U.S. District Judge Illston blocked the immediate firing of federal employees, the White House maintains the order doesn’t prevent the implementation of most planned separations, framing the situation as an unfortunate outcome of congressional inaction. This comes as the shutdown enters its third week, with talks on Capitol Hill remaining stalled.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized judge Illston as “another far left, partisan judge” and stated the administration is confident in the legality of its actions. She described the layoffs as ”an unfortunate consequence” of the shutdown.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought previously indicated that approximately 10,000 people could receive layoff notices during the shutdown,a plan temporarily halted by the judge’s order. However, the administration contends the bulk of workforce reductions are unrelated to those specific firing plans.
The White House’s statements arrive amid broader workforce changes within the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reported in August that roughly 300,000 federal workers would have left government service by year’s end. OPM Director Scott Kupor specified that 80% of these departures were voluntary. This leaves approximately 60,000 workers facing involuntary separation, even before the shutdown.
Additionally,154,000 workers accepted the Trump administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout offer,with many citing fears of potential firing as a motivating factor,according to NPR reporting. The administration’s position underscores a commitment to reducing the size of the federal workforce, even as the shutdown continues to disrupt government services and impact federal employees.
