White House Officials Face RIF Brunt: Which Federal Agencies Are Impacted The Most?

Amid the US Federal government shutdown, the White House has announced large-scale reduction-in-workforce (RIF), according to the Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The shutdown, which has paralyzed the United States government sector, is set to enter into its third week.

In a social media post, Vought said, “RIFs have begun” however no specific details on which agencies and departments are affected specifically have been revealed.

After Vought’s announcement, a US Treasury spokesperson mentioned that notices had been distributed within the department.

On the other hand, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson informed The Guardian that layoffs would also happen at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, meanwhile, a union representing federal workers confirmed that members at the Department of Education will also be impacted.

RIFs, under the Title 5 of the US Code, allows agencies to remove positions during budget crises, going beyond temporary furloughs by terminating employees outright.

As these US government led firings comes to light, several union leaders warned that the move would have “devastating effects” on services relied upon by millions of Americans, and pledged to challenge the moves in court.

“It is 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,” said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), as per media reports.

The latest firings came after Vought warned that the federal agencies could slash jobs if the government shutdown continues. However, US President Donald Trump’s administration largely held off sending notices after funding lapsed last week.

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The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labour unions in the US, responded to Vought’s post on Friday, stating, “America’s unions will see you in court.”

Last week, the AFGE and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) filed for a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from carrying out any reductions in force (RIFs) during the shutdown.

The unions filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on Friday after Vought’s latest announcement. “These mass firings are illegal and will have devastating effects on the services millions of Americans rely on every day. Whether it’s food inspectors, public safety workers, or the countless other public service workers who keep America running, federal employees should not be bargaining chips in this administration’s political games,” said Lee Saunders, president of the AFSCME, in a statement on Friday.

“By illegally firing these workers, the administration isn’t just targeting federal employees; it’s hurting their families and the communities they serve every day. We will pursue every available legal avenue to stop this administration’s unlawful attacks on public service workers’ freedoms and jobs,” the statement further reads.

Meanwhile, Congress Democrats have refused to vote for a Republican-backed bill to restore funding unless it includes an array of health-centric concessions. In the span of almost three weeks, the party has managed to hold seven unsuccessful votes on the spending bills.

While addressing a press conference on Friday morning, US House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Senate Democrats for not supporting the GOP’s bill, which passed his chamber on a near party-line vote. If the government is not reopened by next Wednesday, US military personnel are set to miss a paycheck.

“This is the last paycheck that 700,000 federal workers will see until Washington Democrats decide to do their job and reopen the government,” Johnson said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck. If Democrats don’t end this shutdown by Monday, then that October 15 date will pass us by.”