Federal Workers and the Services They Provide

The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Feb 25, 2025) – Congressional Research Service
Reductions in Force (RIFs): An Overview (Feb 13, 2025) – Congressional Research Service
Using Agency Shutdown Plans to Inform Reductions in Force (RIFs) – Congressional Research Service

Tues, July 15, 2025:
HHS finalizes thousands of layoffs after Supreme Court decision, Staff members who were first notified of terminations in April were finally let go late Monday. – NYT

Mon, July 14, 2025:
Justices allow mass layoffs at Education Department.  Education Secretary Linda McMahon says Trump ‘the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels’ – Roll Call

Thurs, July 10, 2025:
Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI. Widespread, abrupt terminations have left Justice Department and FBI employees wondering if they will be next, people familiar with the matter say. – WP

Wed, July 9, 2025:
Federal workers fear Trump will fire them after court ruling: ‘We are toast’. Next steps aren’t clear, but the White House says it plans to resume mass government layoffs. – WP

Wed, June 25, 2025:
IRS staff losses pose ‘risks’ to next tax filing season, report warns. More than one-quarter of the agency’s workers have left in the past three months, raising the likelihood of service gaps and processing delays, a report says. – WP

Tues, June 24, 2025:
Trump administration scrambles to rehire key federal workers after DOGE firings – CNN

Fri, June 6, 2025:
Trump administration races to fix a big mistake: DOGE fired too many people. Across the government, officials are rehiring federal workers who were forced out or encouraged to resign. – WP

Tues, May 20, 2025:
White House officials wanted to put federal workers ‘in trauma.’ It’s working. In interviews, more than 30 former and current federal workers told The Washington Post that mass firings and chaos have left them feeling devalued, suicidal and scared for themselves and the country. – WP

Mon, May 19, 2025:
Appeals court allows Trump’s anti-union order to take effect – AP

Sun, May 11, 2025:
White House fires head of Copyright Office amid Library of Congress shakeup. Shira Perlmutter’s termination comes after her office this month released a report that raised concerns about using copyrighted materials to train AI. – WP

Sat, May 10, 2025:
A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked sweeping layoffs across much of the government. She found that the reductions in force likely require seeking the consent of Congress. Major departments affected include Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury and the VA; it also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency. The temporary restraining order directs numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the president’s workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Personnel Management. The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. – AP
Firings Paralyze Consumer Product Safety Commission:  The White House fired three Democratic commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, paralyzing the independent consumer watchdog agency. Advocates say the firings at the once-bipartisan Consumer Product Safety Commission are illegal and put the American public in danger. – Consumer Reports

Thurs, May 8, 2025:
Head of FEMA removed after saying the agency should not be abolished; The administration replaced Cameron Hamilton as acting administrator of the embattled disaster response agency, which Trump has suggested dismantling. – WP
Trump abruptly fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; Democrats lash out at ‘unjust’ decision to terminate Hayden, the library’s head since 2016 – Roll Call

Mon, April 28, 2025:
Stopping the Unconstitutional Dismantling of the Federal Government – Protect Democracy

Fri, April 25, 2025:
Judge blocks Trump administration from nixing collective bargaining for most federal employees – AP

Thurs, April 10, 2025:
Staff cuts begin at NEH, threatening humanities programs across U.S.; The employee union said almost 75 percent of National Endowment for the Humanities staff should prepare for reductions in force, around a week after grants were canceled. – WP

Tues, April 8, 2025:
Supreme Court halts order to rehire probationary workers fired by Trump because the plaintiffs, nine nonprofit groups, did not have “standing” or a direct stake in the firings. – WP

Mon, April 7, 2025:
DOGE staff arrives at Peace Corps headquarters, signaling possible cuts; The agency has long enjoyed bipartisan support and makes up a tiny fraction of the federal budget. – NBC

Fri, April 4, 2025:
IRS will cut 25% of its employees, eliminating its civil rights office; The tax agency began telling employees about the coming reduction in emails sent Friday. – WP

Tues, April 1, 2025:
The Federal Work Force Cuts So Far, Agency by Agency – NYT
“Tens of thousands of employees across the federal government have left their jobs, been put on leave or been fired as a part of the government-gutting initiative of the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk. Federal agencies have been directed to make plans to reduce their work forces even further.  Based on the latest available information, reductions could affect at least 13 percent of the 2.4 million civilian federal workers — a number that could grow as more of the agencies’ plans come into focus.”

Confirmed reduction so far, by agency

Fri, March 28, 2025:
President Trump instructed government agencies to end collective bargaining with federal unions, a major escalation in his effort to assert more control over the federal work force. – NYT

Thurs, March 27, 2025:
Internal White House document details layoff plans across U.S. agencies; While officials stressed the estimates were subject to change, the snapshot suggests how agencies are working to meet Trump’s mandate to shrink government. – WP
RFK Jr.’s massive cuts stun staff, leave senior employees scrambling. The cuts sent shockwaves through the department’s sprawling workforce, prompting a scramble among senior agency officials to figure out which employees and policy priorities were affected. – Politico

Tues, March 25, 2025:
Elon Musk’s ‘What Did You Do Last Week?’ Email Clogs Government Inbox – Bloomberg
Treasury plans ‘substantial’ layoffs as part of Musk’s DOGE push – Bloomberg
Meeting with House panel and OPM cut short after clash between Chair and Ranking Member – The Hill

Mon, March 24, 2025:
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block ruling reinstating thousands of fired probationary federal employees. – CNN

Wed, March 19, 2025:
Fear, chaos and missing paperwork: DOGE stories from federal workers – WP

Tues, March 18, 2025:
Report Questions Using Shutdown Contingency Plan as Guide to RIFs – CRS

Mon, March 17, 2025:
Climate, energy agencies hire back probationary employees; The step taken Monday is being done to comply with recent court rulings that held the workers’ firings were illegally carried out. The employees aren’t being put back to work, but placed on paid administrative leave while court cases play out. – Axios
The Collateral Damage of Trump’s Firing Spree; From veterans hospitals to national parks, rapid cuts to federal workers are eating into services – WSJ

Thurs, March 13, 2025:
Judge orders Trump officials to offer jobs back to fired probationary workers; In separate rulings, judges in Maryland and California ordered the reinstatement of probationary workers fired last month across many agencies. – WP
DOGE proposes cutting IRS workforce by a total of nearly 20% – CNN

Wed, March 12, 2025:
Reductions in force: A look at which agencies are affected by DOGE-led job cuts – AP

Sun, March 9, 2025:
Most of the 80,000 federal workers responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food and administering Medicare and Medicaid under the auspices of HHS were emailed an offer to leave their job for as much as a $25,000 payment – WP
Chaos at the VA: clinical trials have been delayed, contracts canceled and support staff fired. With deeper cuts coming, some are warning of potential harms to veterans – NYT

Sat, March 8, 2025:
NOAA Said to Be Planning to Shrink Staff by 20 Percent. Together with recent firings and resignations, the new cuts could hamper the National Weather Service’s ability to produce lifesaving forecasts, scientists say. – NYT

Fri, March 7, 2025:
CDC firings fray lifelines to local health departments – KFF
Federal government payrolls lost 10,000 jobs in February – WP
Trump administration attacks on workers who keep air travel safe – HseAppropsDems

Thurs, March 6, 2025:
Veterans flocked to government jobs. Now thousands are being fired. – WP
How Social Security cuts could put millions of older Americans at risk – PBS
Judge reinstates fired National Labor Relations Board member – Roll Call
Trump says cabinet heads have the lead on employee cuts, but keeps Musk as threat – The Hill
Fired, then rehired, by the Trump Administration – NYT

Tues, March 4, 2025:
Watchdog seeks to halt more than 500 Trump administration firings at USDA – Politico
OPM walks back memo on firing probationary employees, leaving decision to agencies – The Hill

Mon, March 3, 2025:
Former Soc. Sec. Comm.: DOGE cuts could soon trigger Social Security system “collapse” – The Hill
SSA to cut roughly 7,000 workers – WP
SEC dangles $50,000 incentive for employees to resign or retire – Bloomberg
Federal workers face second Musk deadline to explain their work last week – AP

Sun, March 2, 2025:
Fresh Musk emails to workers lead to renewed pushback at federal agencies – WP

Fri, Feb 28, 2025:
Trump, Musk’s plot to make it harder for Americans to get Social Security – SenAppropsDems

Thurs, Feb 27, 2025:
Federal judge blocks mass firings of federal workers; ruled that the mass terminations initiated by OPM exceeded their authority – WP
Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers were likely unlawful – AP
Viability of tax cuts in budget reconciliation bill may turn on ruling by Senate Parliamentarian – Politico

Wed, Feb 26, 2025:
Speaker Johnson claims Republicans won’t cut Medicaid to pay for Trump agenda – CNN
Federal workers who ignore Musk risk their jobs, Trump warns – Bloomberg
OMB formally instructs agencies to prepare for “large-scale” layoffs and reorganization – WH/OMB
OMB memo directs agency heads to submit by April 14 plans to move offices to “less-costly parts of the country” – WP

Tues, Feb 25, 2025:
Trump and Musk have fired nearly 6000 veterans – House Approps Dems
How many federal workers have lost their jobs?  All the firing, layoffs, and resignations so far -NYMag

Mon, Feb 24, 2025:
Oversight agency finds Trump’s federal worker firings unlawful – GovExec
VA axes another 1,400 employees – The Hill
Trump just fired 6,700 IRS workers in the middle of tax season. That’s a huge mistake – NYT/IRS commissioners
Trump administration breaks with Elon Musk, telling federal agencies they can ignore his order on email reply – WP

Sun, Feb 23, 2025:
Key federal agencies refuse to comply with Musk’s latest demand in his cost-cutting crusade – AP
Musk gives all federal workers 48 hours to explain what they did last week or face resignation – AP

Sat, Feb 22, 2025:
How Federal employees are fighting back against Elon Musk – NYT

Fri, Feb 21, 2025:
The Trump administration has defended its cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration by saying safety-critical employees weren’t affected. Experts disagree. – Politico
Experienced workers, not just rookies, get cut as Trump slashes probationary employees – AP

Thurs, Feb 20, 2025:
DOGE’s FDIC firings put banking system at risk – Warren
Ag Dept tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response – AP
Trump team plans deep cuts at office that funds recovery from worst disasters – NYT
CIA plans largest mass firing in nearly 50 years – NYT
IRS layoffs under way around the country as millions prepare to file taxes – ABC
As firings proceed at the IRS, consider that last fall the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that $20 billion in budget cuts at the agency would result in fewer enforcement actions…and thus in smaller revenue collections” of $66 billion over 10 years. Similarly, mass firings at the agency will result in less enforcement revenue losses far larger than the savings in employee salaries.
Federal judge rejects unions’ request to pause Trump firings – WP
Musk’s mass firings are already backfiring – WP
The private GOP panic over the slash-and-burn DOGE firings – POLITICO
“…lawmakers especially concerned about the dismissal of military veterans working in federal agencies as well as USDA employees handling the growing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry and dairy farms.”

Wed, Feb 19, 2025:
Agency firings prompt worries about pandemic preparedness, food-drug inspections – Roll Call
USDA tries to reverse firing of bird flu response workers; department trying to rehire employees as avian influenza causes egg prices to soar – WP
IRS to begin laying off roughly 6,000 employees on Thursday – NYT

Tues, Feb 18, 2025:
Firings expand at Interior Dept with purge of probationary workers – NYT
FEMA is losing scores of employees. What does that mean for disaster recovery? – WP
DOD firings expected to start soon, officials say – WP
Trump accelerates mass firings of federal workers – Bloomberg
Federal mortgage insurer to lay off about half its workforce – Bloomberg
FDIC fires new employees as part of broader government layoffs – Reuters
Trump’s firing of 1000 national park workers raises concerns about maintenance and hours – AP

Mon, Feb 17, 2025:
Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash – FNN
Trump administration fires thousands for “performance” without evidence, in messy rush – WP
Trump fired, then unfired, National Nuclear Security Administration employees – NYT
“NBC News reported that the agency struggled to reach out to some employees that it wanted to reinstate, unable to find contact information for those workers after they were shut off from their federal government email accounts.”

Sat, Feb 15, 2025:
IRS will lay off thousands of workers in the middle of tax season – AP

Fri, Feb 14, 2025:
Trump and Musk layoffs jeopardize essential services Americans rely on – Senate Approps Dems
Trump’s federal firings imperil government services from cities to farm towns – WP
According to a WP analysis, cutting government personnel by one-fourth would reduce federal spending by only about 1 percent.
IRS preparing to layoff thousands of employees as soon as next week, reversing an initiative to speed up customer service – NYT
Trump Admin. fires 10% of workforce at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which handles pandemic investigation and response and public health information. – AP
Trump Admin. fires more than 300 workers at the National Nuclear Security Admin., which manages the nation’s nuclear weapons – NYT
Nearly 10,000 fired as Trump and Musk step up government purge – Reuters
“The Trump administration has ramped up its unprecedented mass firings of federal workers, focusing on employees who have been at their jobs for less than a year, or less than two years in some cases. The Office of Personnel Management reportedly directed agencies Thursday to lay off most of the roughly 200,000 probationary workers. The firings come after more than 77,000 federal employees accepted a Trump administration offer to resign with pay through September.” – Fiscal Times

Thurs, Feb 13, 2025:
Trump officials escalate layoffs, targeting most of 200,000 workers on probation – NYT
OPM directed agencies to fire government workers still on probation; The move is a reversal from an OPM directive just days earlier, when agencies were told to remove probationary employees only if they were poor performers. The Trump administration has also used two other methods to cull the workforce:  an executive order from President Trump directing agencies to undertake a reduction in force and the “Fork in the Road” program offering federal workers a buyout. – The Hill

Wed, Feb 12, 2025:
New order gives Musk control over much US hiring; Musk offers no proof of fraud claims – Bloomberg
Federal judge lifts pause on Trump’s resignation plan for federal workers – WP
Trump executive order vows substantial cuts to federal workforce – WP
Trump orders plans for “large scale” work force cuts and expands Musk’s power – NYT
Trump executive order requires 4 fed workers to leave for every one hired – Economist

Tues, Feb 11, 2025:
Trump signed an order giving DOGE more authority to reduce the federal workforce, without congressional authorization – WSJ

Mon, Feb 10, 2025:
Federal judge keeps block on Trump federal buyout plan in place for now – Reuters
Federal workers watch for court action on day of new resignation deadline – WP

Fri, Feb 7, 2025:
US ordered not to release list of FBI agents tied to Jan. 6 cases – Roll Call

Thurs, Feb 6, 2025:
District judge pauses federal buyout offer on day of deadline – Roll Call
Federal judge pauses Thursday deadline for Trump administration’s buyout program – WP
Musk’s DOGE agens access sensitive personnel data alarming security officials – WP

Wed, Feb 5, 2025:
IRS tells certain empoyees to stay on the job, even if they already resigned – WP
AFL-CIO pushes back on Musk’s campaign against federal workers – NYT
Federal health workers terrified after DEI website publishes list of targets – NBC
In a letter to OPM, Top congressional Democratic appropriators say Trump Administration’s “Deferred Resignation” Scheme is Deceptive, Legally Questionable, & Puts Vital Taxpayer Services At Risk; Accuse Musk of conflict of interest;  Link to Dems’ letter to OPM detailing violations of law – Approps Dems

Tues, Feb 4, 2025:
CIA offers buyout to entire workforce and freezes hiring – WSJ
Fed layoffs “likely” if too few employees choose to quit, memo says – WP
FBI turns over details of 5000 employees who worked on Jan 6 cases to Trump DOJ – CNN
FBI agents sue to keep Trump officials from firing thousands involved in Jan 6 cases – WP
Mystery server used to make buyout offers prompts House Democratic probe – The Hill 

Mon, Feb 3, 2025: Some GOP officials say Trump administration’s federal workers buyout program is illegal – CBS

Sat, Feb 1, 2025: Trump’s DEI purge targets federal workers who did not work in DEI – WP

Fri, Jan 31, 2025: DOJ sidesteps language endorsing legality of buyouts in email to staff; buyouts may violate Anti-Deficiency Act – The Hill

Fri, Jan 31, 2025: Treasury’s senior career official exits after rift with Musk allies over access to sensitive payment systems – WashPost

Fri, Jan 31, 2025: Late Thursday evening, OPM sent out another mass email urging federal employees to accept a “deferred resignation.” NYTimes
“We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so,” stated the email, which was reviewed by The New York Times. “The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”  The email was received by all employees, including employees at the Federal Aviation Administration, which is already suffering a severe shortage of air traffic controllers–and only 24 hours after a tragic plane crash killing 67 people near Reagan national airport.

Thurs, Jan 30, 2025: Trump’s loyalty test will corrupt the US Civil Service – Bloomberg/Lopez

Thurs, Jan 30, 2025: Federal workers reeling over Trump’s “buyout” offer: “This is the last lifeboat in town” – Politico

Wed, Jan 29, 2025: Trump administration’s effort to get federal workers to leave their posts could lead to an exodus of experienced employees – NYTimes

Wed, Jan 29, 2025: Defying legal limits, Trump firings set up tests that could expand presidential power – NYTimes 

Wed, Jan 29, 2025: Musk’s influence over OPM – WashPost

Wed, Jan 29, 2025: Musk and his Silicon Valley associates landed in the capital and immediately moved to cut the size of the federal govt, reprising the playbook he used after buying Twitter – NYTimes
“Musk has tried to deploy his engineers to find ways to turn off the flow of money from the Treasury Department to things that Mr. Trump wants to defund.”

Tues, Jan 28, 2025:  WH incentivizes federal workers to resign;  Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” offer – WashPost  Trump entices millions of federal workers to resign – NYTimes
“The White House announced details Tuesday of a “deferred resignation” offer it made to federal employees that allows them to resign with pay through Sept. 30. Here’s what we know about the offer, which affects the majority of the 2.3 million workers employed by the government and was made in an email blast Tuesday afternoon. It is the latest step the Trump administration has taken to reshape the federal workforce — including ordering most federal workers back to the office, firing inspectors general at several agencies and directing the government to lay off staff working on diversity, equity and inclusion….“The President has no authority to make that offer. There’s no budget line item to pay people who are not showing up for work,” (Senator Tim) Kaine said. “If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you.”

Tues, Jan 28, 2025: Trump/Musk “Deferred Resignation” email to Federal Employees – OPM

Wed, Jan 22, 2025:  Fed DEI staff put on leave – AP

Tues, Jan 21, 2025: Fed employees union sues Trump over worker protections – NYTimes

Mon, Dec 16, 2024: Trump vows to fire fed employees who don’t return to offices – Bloomberg

Sun, Dec 8, 2024: Fed employees scramble to insulate themselves from Trump’s purge – WashPost

Wed, Nov. 20, 2024: Musk and Ramaswamy publish plan to slash workforce – Politico
–WSJ Op-Ed – Musk, Ramaswamy