The Trump administration has begun widespread layoffs of federal employees as the U.S. government shutdown entered its tenth day, marking the first time in modern history that permanent job cuts have been implemented during a funding lapse. White House budget director Russell Vought confirmed the move Friday, writing on X, "The RIFs have begun," using the acronym for "Reductions in Force."
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget later described the layoffs as "substantial," though no total figure was released. Multiple agencies-including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, Education, Commerce, and Homeland Security-confirmed that employees had received termination notices. Treasury officials said the Internal Revenue Service alone was preparing 1,300 layoff notices, while HHS reported reductions across multiple divisions.
"The RIFs have begun and are substantial," Vought reiterated. The administration framed the layoffs as part of President Donald Trump's broader campaign to "downsize" the federal workforce and cut what it described as "bloated bureaucracy." HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said employees receiving notices "were designated non-essential by their respective divisions," adding that the department was closing "wasteful and duplicative entities" inconsistent with the administration's "Make America Healthy Again agenda."
Democrats quickly condemned the action. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the administration of "callously choosing to hurt people." "Russell Vought just fired thousands of Americans with a tweet," Schumer said in a statement. "They don't have to do it; they want to. They're deliberately choosing chaos."
The shutdown, now in its second week, stems from a standoff over funding legislation that requires bipartisan support in the Senate. Democrats have refused to advance a temporary spending measure without a commitment to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that lower health-insurance costs for millions. "Until Republicans get serious, they own this-every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions," Schumer said.
Some Republicans also criticized the layoffs. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she "strongly oppose[s] OMB Director Russ Vought's attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been furloughed." She warned that "arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country."
The White House defended the move as a necessary consequence of Democratic obstruction. "HHS employees across multiple divisions have received reduction-in-force notices as a direct consequence of the Democrat-led government shutdown," Nixon said. Officials emphasized that affected employees had already been furloughed, while others continue to work without pay.
Labor unions representing federal workers swiftly filed lawsuits to block the layoffs, arguing that terminating employees during a shutdown violates labor law. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 820,000 federal workers, declared on social media, "The lawsuit has been filed." The AFL-CIO added, "America's unions will see you in court."
