Mass layoffs of civil servants begin in the U.S. amid budget crisis
A crisis is escalating in the United States due to the ongoing government shutdown - a partial halt of federal operations that has now entered its tenth day, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent, citing BILD.
Due to the absence of an approved budget, U.S. federal agencies are operating in a reduced mode, with tens of thousands of employees placed on unpaid leave.
The administration of Donald Trump has now resorted to extreme measures. White House Budget Director Russ Vought announced the start of mass layoffs across federal agencies.
According to court documents, more than 4,000 people are expected to lose their jobs, with the Treasury Department (about 1,400 layoffs) and the Department of Health and Human Services (over 1,100) being hit the hardest. The cuts will also affect the Departments of Education, Commerce, Energy, and Environmental Protection.
Trump said the layoffs would target “mostly Democrat-leaning areas” and were intended to increase pressure on the opposition to approve the proposed budget. However, the decision has provoked strong backlash even among Republicans. Senator Susan Collins called the president’s actions “completely unnecessary and unacceptable,” while her colleague Lisa Murkowski described them as “a punishment for honest workers.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the White House of “deliberately harming people who protect the country and help during crises.” Negotiations on the new budget remain stalled, and prospects for ending the shutdown are still unclear.
The so-called government shutdown began on Wednesday after the Senate failed to pass either of two bills to fund federal spending, resulting in a partial halt of government operations.
Earlier it was reported that bitcoin and gold set new all-time highs amid U.S. government shutdown.
