US EditionSenior government officials privately warn against firings during shutdown: Washington Post
Senior officials warn firings during a shutdown may violate laws and disrupt operations, with no layoffs occurring yet amid legal and union challenges.
- Thursday, The Washington Post reported senior federal officials privately warned agencies that mass firings during a shutdown may violate appropriations laws, citing the Antideficiency Act.
- On Monday, President Donald Trump said `Well, the Democrats want to shut it down, so when you shut it down, you have to do layoffs`, reflecting internal concerns about legal risks and agency plans. Vance on Wednesday warned layoffs may be needed if the shutdown continues.
- Pointing to statutes and a pending lawsuit, officials noted reductions in force could face legal challenge while White House Budget Director Russell Vought's office confirmed plans for mass dismissals during a shutdown.
- So far, no agencies have carried out the threatened dismissals, and there is no legal requirement that the government fire employees during a shutdown, officials noted.
- Vice President JD Vance's remarks raised questions about the operational case for layoffs, while legal advisers and labor unions cited appropriations-law risks and litigation under the Antideficiency Act.
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5 Articles
Trump's own officials privately say president's latest order might be illegal: report
Officials are privately telling departments that ushering in a mass firing during the government shutdown may not be legal. The Washington Post reported Thursday that senior federal officials are quietly counseling against the order from President Donald Trump. "Well, the Democrats want to shut it d...
Senior Officials Warn Against Mass Firings
“Senior federal officials have quietly counseled several agencies against firing employees while the government is shut down — as President Donald Trump has suggested he will — warning the strategy may violate appropriations law,” the Washington Post reports. “The officials cautioned that firings — known as RIFs, or reductions in force — could be vulnerable to legal challenges under statutes labor unions cited this week in a lawsuit seeking to b…
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