Transition
Trump says he can pick and choose which feds get back pay. Republicans in Congress mostly disagree
Asked if furloughed workers will get retroactively paid, Trump say “it depends.”
Trump administration ‘co-opted the voices’ of Education employees in shutdown blame game, union lawsuit alleges
Furloughed Education Department employees reported that their out-of-office email messages were modified to emphasize that Senate Democrats voted against a GOP government funding measure.
Does agency messaging blaming Democrats for government shutdown violate the Hatch Act?
Legal experts agree recent messages by the Trump administration about the shutdown at least pose ethical concerns about government impartiality.
RIF threat sparks union lawsuit as shutdown continues
AFGE and AFSCME argued that an Office of Management and Budget memo instructing agencies to launch mass layoffs during the government shutdown violate the Antideficiency Act and most agencies’ own authorizing statutes.
Hegseth, Vought actions heighten fears about continued inspector general independence
Lawmakers from both parties and good government groups have argued that recent moves by the Trump administration will chill whistleblowing and watchdog offices.
White House: Shutdown layoffs are just days away
So far, just one agency has pursued RIFs while others have largely followed normal shutdown procedures.
Judge blocks Trump’s anti-union executive order for IFPTE-represented workers
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said the president “clearly” exceeded his authority when issuing an edict stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of its collective bargaining rights.
Reductions in force could make bad situation worse for federal contractors during government shutdown
Some federal contractors have already reported problems connecting with their contracting officers.
Layoff implementation work is exempted from shutdown, Trump admin says
Shutdown layoffs could be undone when funding is restored, according to new guidance.
The ultra risks of a routine shutdown
COMMENTARY | If Democrats risk a government shutdown this week, they may unwittingly play into the most dramatic shift of power to the executive branch in recent history.
Labor groups warn of ‘gaping hole’ in First Amendment if court OKs Trump’s anti-union orders
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will reexamine a prior decision allowing the White House’s effort to strip two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights to go into effect.
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The Interior Department is taking steps to implement layoffs
After a series of delays, DOI is preparing RIF lists as it looks to implement significant personnel cuts in the coming weeks.
Trump budget office is hiding federal spending information, ethics nonprofit alleges
Federal courts have ordered the Office of Management and Budget to publish information about how agency funding is disbursed, but Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington contends that officials are using footnotes to obfuscate disclosure.
Updated
Census advisory committee meets despite Trump administration nixing it
A Trump executive order directed the cancellation of “unnecessary” councils that advise on agency operations.
Lawmakers sound alarm on administration of USPS health care program
The Office of Personnel Management still has less than half of the IT staff needed to support postal workers’ employer-sponsored health insurance program as it prepares for its second-ever open season this fall.
Rule limiting ‘outstanding’ performance ratings for agency senior executives finalized
The final rule also strikes promotion of diversity and inclusion as a criteria for appraising senior executives.
Protestors denounce cuts to NASA’s staff, budget and union rights
Several speakers at the protest also urged Congress to pass a continuing resolution that prevents the Trump administration from impounding agency funding.
Federal agencies threaten, discipline employees for criticizing or mocking Charlie Kirk
The Trump administration is “tracking…very closely” social media posts suggesting Kirk should not be mourned, some agencies say.
Unions urge VA to restore bargaining ahead of deadline
President Trump’s order extending a ban on collective bargaining to additional agencies opened the door for more labor groups to continue representing employees at the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments.
Democrats want to know how the Forest Service is funding its deferred resignation program
The Forest Service chief told one Senate committee that the funding came from annual appropriations and another that the agency was dipping into money provided in two Biden-era laws.
