President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that thousands of U.S. government workers were being laid off across multiple federal agencies, blaming Democrats for forcing his hand as the government shutdown entered its tenth day.
Job cuts began at key agencies including the Treasury Department, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Departments of Education, Commerce, and Homeland Security’s cybersecurity division.
Spokespeople at several agencies confirmed layoffs were underway, though the total number of affected employees remains unclear.
“They started this thing,” Trump said from the Oval Office, calling the layoffs “Democrat-oriented.” He accused Democrats of blocking a spending deal in Congress, even as Republicans hold majorities in both chambers but need Senate Democratic votes to fund the government.
Democrats have refused to back the White House’s budget without an extension of health-insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, arguing that millions of Americans would face higher health costs if subsidies are cut.
Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to shrink the federal workforce, said his administration would focus job cuts on agencies “championed by Democrats.”
He also froze at least $28 billion in infrastructure funds for New York, California, and Illinois, states with large Democratic constituencies and vocal critics of his administration.
The Justice Department revealed in a court filing that over 4,200 federal workers have already received layoff notices across seven agencies, including 1,400 at the Treasury Department and 1,100 at HHS. More layoffs are expected in the coming days.
Democratic leaders condemned the layoffs, accusing the president of political retribution.
“Until Republicans get serious, they own this, every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Labor unions representing federal employees have filed lawsuits seeking to block the layoffs, arguing that dismissing workers during a shutdown is illegal. The White House countered in court that the unions lack legal standing.
A federal judge is scheduled to hear the case on October 15.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, broke ranks with the administration, warning that the cuts would undermine essential public services.
“Regardless of whether employees have been working without pay or furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public,” she said.
White House budget director Russell Vought confirmed on social media that “the RIFs [reductions in force] had begun,” describing them as “substantial.”
At HHS, layoffs are affecting staff responsible for disease monitoring, research funding, and public health operations. Roughly 41% of agency employees have already been furloughed, according to spokesperson Andrew Nixon.
The Treasury Department is reportedly preparing about 1,300 layoff notices, many of which will hit the IRS, where nearly half of the 78,000 employees were already furloughed earlier this week.
Cuts were also confirmed at the Departments of Education, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, while other reports pointed to layoffs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is also affected. Trump has repeatedly clashed with CISA since its former director refuted his false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The Departments of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are reportedly not affected by the reductions.
The layoffs come as hundreds of thousands of federal employees brace for reduced or halted paychecks. Active-duty military personnel, numbering about 2 million, could miss their October 15 pay if the shutdown continues.
With the standoff deepening and legal challenges mounting, the Trump administration faces intensifying criticism over the sweeping federal job cuts, a move analysts warn could severely disrupt government operations and deepen the economic fallout from the shutdown.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
