Now, when more than half a million federal workers have currently been dropped, President Donald Trump promised to make this government even more effective – by conducting deep constant reductions of federal labor. But he is already faced with legal problems and questions about whether he was allowed to dismiss workers during the closure.
“We can do something during an irreversible shutdown, which are bad for [Democrats] And irreversible with them, for example, cut a huge number of people, cut the things they like, reduce the programs that they like, ”President Trump said on Tuesday, a few hours before the start of disconnecting.“ They risk the stop ”.
The closure occurs against the background of the already instant reduction in the federal labor force by the Trump administration. Staff management estimates That by the end of the year more than 300,000 federal employees would have disappeared-for example, one eight of the total federal labor force, which sat 2.4 million when Mr. Trump returned to the White House. This includes 100,000 workers who reacted to “Fork on the road” Offer and choose early resignation or delay the resignation. Most of these employees remained at the state payment statement, while they really did not work, and their employment officially ended on September 30, at the end of the financial year.
Why did we write this
The closing of the government takes place against the backdrop of partisan expenses. What is different this time: President Donald Trump promises to further reduce federal labor. This would be the last example of the approved powers for the presidency.
In previous government stops, the wide bands of federal workers were laid on vacation. But they always returned to work, as soon as the congress and the president agreed with the financing agreement and received the return payment (binding on the law in 2019 after the last closure).
State departments, killing most of their employees this time, include Environmental Protection Agency, Department of LaborAnd what remains of Department of EducationAlmost half whose employees He was already dismissed Trump administration at the beginning of this year.
EPA, in particular, may be aimed at further dismissal from the Trump administration.
Last week, management and budget management (OMB) has issued a management of state -owned institutions for constant layout in case of closing, while personnel management management of personnel management Updated his shutdown guide On Sunday, to say that the agencies are “authorized to manage employees to carry out the work necessary for RIF management [reduction in force] The process during the interval in allocations as excluded actions. ”
The law on the dismissal of employees requires administrative work by government officials who will usually be placed on vacation during disconnection. The only people, according to the law, are authorized to be released from work, are those whose work is considered necessary to protect inevitable threats to life or property or support a fully funded government function.
Omm the opinion that workers participating in the dismissal of employees may continue to do this work when closing, and legally unvered. And this is going to face close attention.
On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the start of the closure, the American Federation of civil servants; American Federation of State, District and Municipal Workers; and other trade unions sued the administration of Trump To block any mass dismissal during disconnection, claiming that they will be illegal violence against the authorities.
“The Trump administration proposed illegal threats to dismantle the basic federal services and functions provided by federal personnel, deviating from historical practice and violating applicable laws, if a disconnection occurs,” the lawsuit said, arguing that the impact of dismissal is clearly not allowed (or “excluded”) that may continue to legally continue during disconnecting ”.
Sam Berger, a former high -ranking OMB official during the Obama administration, who participated in navigation to close the Government of 2013, says that OMB did not offer “what kind of legal excuse” for their arguments that employees who carry out dismissal can continue to work during the closure.
“The disconnection itself does not give them the authority to participate in these widespread dismissals,” he says. “In most cases, their HR departments do not have funding, and therefore they should not be able to work on RIFS during disconnection.”
It seems that this is the last in the series of calculated efforts of the OMB Director of Russell Vought and the Trump administration to check the long -arising restrictions on the executive branch in an attempt to expand the power of the presidency.
“They are trying to form how the power of the executive branch is used in the law, in contrast to a set of norms,” says a senior OMB official from the first term of powers of Trump, who acted against the background. “Much of what this administration does really strives for clarification in the written law, in particular, what are these boundaries of the executive branch.”
This official was involved in navigation for couples for the last time when government funding took place at the end of 2018 and early 2019. This is a 35-day closure, the longest in the history of the United States, occurred because Mr. Trump tried to force the Democrats to give him financing the wall along the border with the USA-Mexico.
The purpose of the Trump administration was to minimize the number of violations felt by the American public. But now the democrats are those who force the stop, are trying to force the Republicans to continue financing Obamacare subsidies so that millions of people do not see cool jumps in the field of healthcare. This means that shoes are on the other leg – and Mr. Trump seeks to exert maximum pressure.
“We will fire a lot of people,” the president said on Tuesday afternoon. “Much may come from stops. We get rid of many things that we did not want. And they will be democratic things. ”
Democrats replied that Mr. Trump showed his true colors with this statement.
“Well, like that. Trump admitted himself that he uses the Americans as political pawns, ”said the leader of the minority in the Senate Chuck Shumer Chuck Shumer in response to the threats of dismissing Mr. Trump on Tuesday.
When he was asked if he was worried that the closure will lead to a larger number of dismissals, Mr. Schumer said: “He does it anyway. They have already reduced 300,000 people. … It will fall on him. He is the one who makes dismissal, not democrats. ”
The courts are likely to decide whether they are allowed to pass.
