Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s downsizing during shutdown
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from continuing the downsizing of the government (RIF), granting a temporary restraining order sought by unions who claimed the layoffs were illegal during the current government shutdown.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, ordered the administration not to issue reduction-in-force notices to federal employees in “any program, project, or activity,” including any bargaining unit or union-represented member during or because of the shutdown.
“The evidence suggests that OMB and OPM have taken advantage of the government spending disruption to assume that all bets are off and the laws do not apply to them,” Illston said.
DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO SUE TRUMP TEAM FOR “ILLEGAL” DRAWINGS AS BATTLE OF SHUTDOWN AGAINS
A sign reading “Closed Due to Federal Government Shutdown” is seen outside the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC on October 6. (José Luis Magana/AP Photo)
She further asserted that the administration’s actions were “unlawful, in excess of authority, and arbitrary and capricious.”
The government shutdown is expected to cost taxpayers $400 million a day to pay furloughed federal employees, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office. (Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)
TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE DEMANDS AGENCIES PLAN MASS LAYS AHEAD OF POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN
In a court filing Tuesday evening, an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official said more than 4,000 civil servants had already received reduction notices.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer and Brian Steil for a news conference during the government shutdown October 10 in Washington, DC. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
