Russell Vought, as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, has been a key figure in several of the largest federal workforce and budget decisions in recent days. According to LAist, Vought made headlines by announcing on social media that the reduction in force layoffs among federal employees had officially begun. The process, which he described as substantial, marks an intensification of the Trump administration’s broader effort to shrink the federal workforce and overhaul government operations during the ongoing and historic government shutdown.

Details from the Office of Management and Budget confirm that the Department of Health and Human Services was among the most affected agencies, with over a thousand employees receiving layoff notices. The Department of Education also faced significant reductions. Statements from federal employee unions and agency representatives have been highly critical of these moves, blaming the administration for what they describe as using the government shutdown to justify permanent workforce reductions. Rachel Gittleman of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 noted concerns about negative impacts on students and families as a result of cuts to the Education Department.

The layoffs came ahead of a court-ordered deadline for the federal government to report on all pending or ongoing reductions related to the shutdown. The situation around these layoffs remains fluid and could evolve further, as lawsuits and congressional responses continue. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston is scheduled to hold a hearing on ongoing RIFs, reflecting the legal and political complications the layoffs have triggered. Some Republican politicians, such as Senator Collins, have publicly opposed Vought’s approach, emphasizing the importance of federal workers’ contributions even amid furloughs.

Amid these workforce actions, the White House under Vought’s budget leadership has pursued other significant changes, including freezing transportation funding for major cities and canceling previous administration energy grants, moves characterized as a push to reduce the federal government’s size. Recent statements from Vought suggest that he sees the appropriations process as needing to be less bipartisan, and he has publicly questioned the constitutionality of longstanding appropriations laws. These remarks and actions have been met with consistent criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, especially as the shutdown’s impact on federal services and employees deepens.

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