OMB says mass firings began Friday; 4,000+ federal workers getting layoff notices amid shutdown
The White House Office of Management and Budget says reductions‑in‑force began Friday, with a court filing showing well over 4,000 federal employees across multiple agencies are receiving layoff notices as the shutdown continues. Agencies affected include HHS (including SAMHSA and parts of CDC), Education, Treasury and DHS/CISA; OMB called the cuts “substantial,” most notices are 60‑day RIFs, and the moves have prompted legal challenges and sharp political and union criticism.
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📌 Key Facts
- OMB (Director Russ Vought) announced that reductions‑in‑force (RIFs) began on Friday, describing the cuts as “substantial,” and an OMB court filing said well over 4,000 federal employees will receive layoff notices.
- Multiple agencies have been notified: HHS confirmed RIF notices across divisions (including more than 100 SAMHSA staff laid off late Friday and CDC RIFs issued then partly rescinded), the Education Department and Treasury (AFGE cites ~1,300 Treasury notices) also received notices, and DHS said RIFs will occur at CISA.
- The notices followed standard RIF procedures (typically 60‑day notices, or 30 days with an OPM waiver, plus required notifications to unions/Congress and specific notice content), and many employees received 60‑day layoff notices Friday; the process and criteria prompted confusion among staff.
- Labor groups and Democrats pushed back: AFGE has sued, calling the firings illegal, and leaders including Sen. Patty Murray signaled likely legal and political challenges.
- The White House and Vice President JD Vance defended the actions as legal and part of reallocating funds to preserve essential services (noting efforts to ensure military pay and some low‑income assistance) while warning that longer shutdowns could bring deeper, “painful” workforce cuts; Vance also labeled Democrats’ stance “hostage‑taking.”
- Officials and reporting placed the layoffs in the broader context of GOP shutdown strategy (including rescissions and negotiation stances); the administration and President Trump signaled intent to cut programs unpopular with Republicans, and reporting notes the federal workforce is already down about 200,000 this year with HHS having reduced roughly 20,000 employees earlier.
- Operational impacts are already visible: Smithsonian museums, research centers and the National Zoo closed for lack of funding, and cuts to SAMHSA/CDC raise concerns about oversight of the 988 suicide‑prevention hotline, behavioral‑health grants and other public‑health functions.
📚 Contextual Background
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency responsible for apprehending and detaining people suspected of being undocumented immigrants in the United States.
📰 Sources (11)
On 12th day of shutdown, Vance warns new ‘painful’ cuts ahead
New information:
- Vice President JD Vance warned on Oct. 12 that deeper, "painful" cuts to the federal workforce are coming the longer the shutdown lasts.
- Vance said the administration worked to ensure military pay this week and to preserve some low‑income services, including food assistance.
- PBS/AP reiterates OMB’s court filing that well over 4,000 federal employees will be fired in conjunction with the shutdown and notes additional operational impact: Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are now closed for lack of funding.
- On-camera statements from House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries underscore continued negotiating stalemate.
Vance accuses Democrats of "hostage-taking" with government shutdown posture
New information:
- Vice President JD Vance labeled Democrats’ shutdown stance as “hostage-taking” and rejected negotiations before reopening.
- Vance defended the administration’s legal authority for RIFs during the shutdown and said some were adjusted or rescinded amid “inevitable” chaos.
- He said the administration is reallocating funds to keep essential services operating and blamed Democrats for the disruption.
- Vance criticized expiring ACA premium tax credits as prone to waste/fraud but said the White House is willing to negotiate health policy after the government reopens.
Trump slashes mental health agency as shutdown drags on
New information:
- NPR reports more than 100 SAMHSA employees were laid off late Friday (rough estimate around 125 out of ~900 staff).
- Layoff notices at SAMHSA went out shortly before 8 p.m. ET, with employees told of a Reduction in Force.
- CDC also saw staff cuts, and at least some RIFs were subsequently revoked; NPR cites an HHS CHCO Tom Nagy letter rescinding a CDC RIF.
- HHS did not immediately comment; employees describe confusion over criteria for who was let go.
- Context underscores potential impact on SAMHSA’s oversight of the 988 suicide prevention hotline and behavioral‑health grants.
Mass layoffs begin as government shutdown stretches into second week
New information:
- OMB (White House Budget Office) said mass firings of federal workers began on Friday.
- More than 4,000 employees across multiple agencies will receive layoff notices.
- The figures and timing were disclosed in a court filing.
Federal workers start receiving layoff notices amid shutdown
New information:
- CBS News confirms some federal employees received 60-day layoff notices on Friday.
- OMB Director Russ Vought said layoffs are beginning as the shutdown enters Day 10.
These are the agencies Trump is purging during the shutdown
New information:
- HHS confirms employees across multiple divisions have received reduction‑in‑force notices, attributing them to the shutdown.
- DHS says reductions‑in‑force will occur at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, calling it part of 'getting CISA back on mission.'
- Treasury confirms employees were notified of layoffs Friday; AFGE’s lawsuit cites approximately 1,300 Treasury notices.
- AFGE says the administration is 'illegally' firing thousands of furloughed workers during a shutdown and has filed suit.
- White House declined comment; OMB said layoffs are underway and 'substantial.'
- DHS did not say whether ICE or FEMA would face cuts.
Mass federal layoffs begin amid shutdown, White House says
New information:
- Education Department confirms it is among agencies hit by the new layoffs; agency staffing fell from about 4,100 when Trump took office to roughly 2,500 at the start of the shutdown, and additional cuts are now underway.
- HHS says health workers were being fired on Oct. 10, though without specifying numbers or sub‑agencies.
- OMB Director Russ Vought publicly posted that “RIFs have begun,” and an OMB spokesperson called the reductions “substantial.”
- Sen. Patty Murray said the shutdown does not grant the administration new powers to lay off workers, signaling likely legal and political pushback.
- Context update: both chambers are out of town on day 10 of the shutdown; Trump earlier in the week said job cuts could be “substantial” and “a lot of those jobs will never come back.”
White House says 'substantial' layoffs of federal workers have begun, with few details
New information:
- OMB spokesperson told NPR the RIF process is underway and 'substantial,' following Russell Vought’s post that 'The RIFs have begun.'
- HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said HHS employees across multiple divisions have received RIF notices and that those affected were designated non‑essential.
- NPR notes HHS has already reduced about 20,000 workers through a prior RIF and separations, more than were added during the Biden administration.
- Details on RIF procedure: minimum 60-day notice (or 30 days with OPM waiver), potential union/Congress notifications, and required content of notices.
- AFGE National President Everett Kelley criticized the action as illegal and disgraceful.
- Article references a court-ordered deadline the same day for the government to disclose the status of any RIF notices planned or in progress.
"This gets real": GOP escalates shutdown fight with rescissions, layoffs
New information:
- Axios reiterates that the administration has begun mass federal layoffs and places that move alongside GOP plans for additional rescissions and reconciliation bills.
- Contextualizes layoffs with GOP strategy statements and Democratic conditions for any shutdown-ending deal.
Trump officials say "substantial" federal worker layoffs have begun
New information:
- OMB spokesperson told Axios the reductions-in-force are 'substantial.'
- President Trump said the administration will cut 'very popular democrat programs that aren't popular with republicans.'
- Axios reports the federal workforce is already down about 200,000 employees this year.
- Confirmation that OMB did not specify which departments are impacted yet.