US Government Initiates Mass Layoffs Amid Shutdown
The US government shutdown has led to a wave of layoffs among public employees, announced by the White House last week. The layoffs come as a result of a deadlock between Democrats and Republicans over the state budget, forcing the government to take drastic measures.
Background
The US federal government partially suspended work at midnight on October 1 due to the lack of funding. This resulted from a failure to agree on expenditure items between the ruling Republican and opposition Democratic parties in the US Congress. The shutdown has forced offices, national parks, and other federal government operations to close or curtail operations.
Mass Layoffs Begin
More than 4,000 workers across seven agencies will receive notices that their jobs are being cut, the government disclosed in a court filing. The layoffs mark the first large-scale dismissals of federal employees during a funding lapse in modern history.
Affected workers were sent layoff notices via email informing them that their duties were now deemed unnecessary or virtually identical
to those being performed elsewhere in the agency. The layoffs include employees in departments including the Treasury and Homeland Security.
Implications of the Shutdown
The ongoing shutdown has far-reaching implications. Funding to oversee the safety of the nation’s nuclear arsenal could lapse, warned US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. He cautioned that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) could run out of funding to monitor the country’s nuclear arsenal within eight days because of the shutdown.
Furthermore, the shutdown has disrupted air travel across the country. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data, more than 9,000 flights have been delayed or canceled amid a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Reactions to the Shutdown
The deadlock over ending the shutdown has deepened with senators once again rejecting competing bills to restart funding. The government shutdown costs taxpayers $400 million every day to pay federal employees who are not actively working, totaling $1.2 billion as of Friday, estimates the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
In response to the layoffs, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Donald Trump has authorized a plan to use tariff revenue to keep the WIC nutrition program running during the government shutdown.
Conclusion
With the crisis set to go into a third week and no foreseeable end in sight, the layoffs and disruption to public services are expected to continue. Meanwhile, both sides of the political aisle remain entrenched in their positions, leaving the fate of thousands of government employees in the balance as the shutdown drags on.