WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday began laying off thousands of federal employees, citing the ongoing government shutdown as the reason, while President Donald Trump placed the blame squarely on Democrats. The move escalates the standoff in a shutdown that entered its tenth day, affecting millions of Americans and rattling federal agencies nationwide, according to Reuters Agency.
Job cuts were reported across multiple departments, including Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Education, Commerce, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Officials confirmed that more than 4,200 federal employees had received layoff notices, including roughly 1,400 at Treasury and at least 1,100 at HHS. The total scope of layoffs is expected to grow as the shutdown persists.
“They started this thing,” Trump said during an Oval Office event, describing the layoffs as “Democrat-oriented.” Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they require Democratic support in the Senate to pass any government-funding legislation. Democrats have insisted on extending health-insurance subsidies, warning that millions of Americans covered under the Affordable Care Act would face skyrocketing costs if the dispute continues.
The White House also ordered a freeze on at least $28 billion in infrastructure funds earmarked for New York, California, and Illinois states with large Democratic constituencies and vocal critics of the administration.
Labour unions representing federal workers have filed lawsuits to block the layoffs, calling them illegal under a shutdown. In response, the administration argued in court that the unions lack the legal authority to challenge federal personnel decisions. A federal judge is scheduled to hear the case on October 15.
Union leaders warned that layoffs could have widespread consequences. Thomas Huddleston of the American Federation of Government Employees reported that Treasury was preparing 1,300 notices, potentially affecting the IRS, which has already furloughed 46% of its 78,000 employees this year. HHS, which employs 78,000 workers monitoring disease outbreaks, funding research, and delivering essential health services, has furloughed roughly 41% of its staff.
The layoffs are concentrated on furloughed employees, while active-duty military personnel face missed paychecks if the shutdown continues through October 15. Other affected agencies include Housing and Urban Development, the Commerce Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, though the Departments of Transportation and the FAA remain unaffected.
Democrats have condemned the White House strategy. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions.” Some Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins, have also voiced opposition, calling federal workers’ contributions “incredibly important to serving the public.”
