Layoff Update

Keith’s note: A judge has halted the new round of layoffs during the Shutdown – but OMB has only just begun to lay people off. Or try to.

• Judge blocks Trump admin from laying off federal workers during government shutdown, Politico: “U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee based in California, ruled from the bench after an afternoon hearing, saying that the administration isn’t following legal requirements for conducting reductions in force, or RIFs, and that officials have exceeded their authorities. Illston also cited public comments about the shutdown made by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, adding that the layoffs appear to be unlawfully targeted at Democrats.”
• Trump admin federal job cuts likely to be ‘north of 10,000,’ Vought says, CNBC “The Trump administration could slash more than 10,000 federal jobs during the government shutdown, White House budget director Russell Vought said Wednesday. “We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy, not just the funding,” said Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget. “We now have an opportunity to do that, and that’s where we’re going to be looking for our opportunities.”