Trump Administration Fires Health Employees During Government Shutdown, Faces Legal challenge
WASHINGTON D.C. - Teh Trump administration has begun laying off federal employees, including those working in public health roles, even as the government remains in a shutdown, sparking immediate legal challenges. White House Budget Director Russell Vought,a key architect of the “Project 2025” plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce,announced the terminations today on X (formerly Twitter),stating “they have begun.”
Though,legal experts warn the layoffs are likely a violation of federal law. As previously reported by The Washington Post, senior government officials have cautioned that Vought’s actions run afoul of the Antideficiency Act. This law prohibits the government from incurring new financial obligations during a shutdown, and the process of terminating employees – which includes providing severance packages – constitutes such an obligation.
Federal employment lawyers have further explained to the Post that the layoffs are likely illegal for a second reason: federal regulations do not recognize a shutdown-induced lapse in funding as a legitimate reason for employee termination.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and other unions representing federal workers preemptively filed a lawsuit last week anticipating these actions, challenging threats from the Trump administration to lay off workers during the shutdown.
“It is indeed disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” stated AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a statement released today.
Kelley affirmed the union’s commitment to fighting the layoffs, adding, “AFGE is currently challenging President Trump’s illegal, unprecedented abuse of power, and we will not stop fighting until every reduction-in-force notice is rescinded.”
The layoffs come amidst ongoing concerns about the impact of the shutdown on vital public health services and raise questions about the administration’s strategy for navigating the funding impasse.
