Post by : Rameen Ariff

The White House has started mass layoffs of federal workers as President Donald Trump seeks to pressure opposition Democrats to end a government shutdown that has paralyzed public services across the United States.

The shutdown, now entering its third week, has left hundreds of thousands of public servants on unpaid leave. In a social media post, Trump’s budget chief, Russ Vought, announced that the administration has begun executing layoffs of some of the 750,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown. The Office of Management and Budget, led by Vought, described the layoffs as "substantial," although specific details about the number of employees affected or the departments targeted were not provided.

President Trump has framed the layoffs as a strategic move to increase pressure on Democrats, saying last week that he and Vought were deciding which "Democrat Agencies" should face cuts. Democrats have dismissed these threats as political intimidation and argue that mass firings would not withstand legal scrutiny.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the move, saying, "Russell Vought just fired thousands of Americans with a tweet." He called the White House’s actions "deliberate chaos" and condemned the decision for hurting workers responsible for protecting the country, inspecting food, and responding to disasters.

Unions representing 800,000 government employees have filed a request with a federal judge in San Francisco for an emergency order to stop the layoffs. A hearing on the legality of the firings is scheduled for October 16.

Departments across the government have already begun sending out layoff notices. The Treasury Department confirmed the process has started, while the Health and Human Services Department began terminating nonessential workers, describing it as a direct result of the “Democrat-led government shutdown.” The Department of Education is also reducing its workforce.

Public servants who remain employed continue to work without pay, adding to the financial strain. Military personnel are also affected, with 1.3 million active-duty service members expected to miss their paychecks next Wednesday—a historic first during any modern government shutdown.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described the situation as “a somber day,” reflecting the challenges faced as nonessential government work halted after the September 30 funding deadline. Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked a Republican resolution aimed at reopening federal agencies, with disputes over expiring health insurance subsidies for 24 million Americans remaining a major sticking point.

Many members of Congress have looked to President Trump to intervene and end the deadlock, but the president has remained focused on other issues, including the Gaza ceasefire deal and deploying federal troops to support mass deportation operations in Democratic-led cities such as Chicago and Portland.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the situation, saying, "The American people are sick and tired of the chaos, crisis, and confusion caused by Donald Trump and Republican control of Congress."

The shutdown has also disrupted government operations beyond staffing, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics delaying the release of key inflation data, including the consumer price index, until October 24. This delay is intended to ensure that Social Security benefits can be accurately processed and paid on time.

As the shutdown continues, federal workers and the American public face ongoing uncertainty, with no clear resolution in sight.

#world news #Global News #Donald Trump