Are mass federal layoffs here? NBC News reports,
Trump administration begins ‘substantial’ federal worker layoffs amid shutdown.
Details,
Affected agencies include the departments of Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, according to an administration official.
Democrats pushed back, saying that a shutdown does not require President Donald Trump to fire workers or give him new powers to do so, arguing the White House is being vindictive.
What are they to do? Congress never passed a 2025 budget, apparently. The money ran out the last day of the fiscal year, September 30.
Thanks to the Senate filibuster, Democrats won’t provide the votes to extend current spending levels. Starting next week, federal workers won’t get paid.
In return for votes, Democrats want to reverse all of the gains made under Trump 2.0 in every area. So, there is no obvious way to resolve the impasse.
It will certainly not be resolved as long as Democrats think they are winning.
Republicans hold the White House and both houses of Congress. But, thanks to the filibuster, Democrats believe that they are in a position to dictate all government policy.
The layoff notices are just a formality, a courtesy, if you will. Government is broke, de jure, and with $38 trillion in debt, broke, de facto.
