Senate deal would reverse shutdown firings
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune in the Capitol on Saturday; Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
The deal reached in the Senate Sunday would reverse the mass firings initiated during the government shutdown — and guarantee backpay for furloughed government workers.
Why it matters: The provisions stymie the Trump White House effort to slash the federal workforce in the shutdown.
Zoom in: The bill released Sunday by the Senate Appropriations Committee would rescind the more than 4,000 layoff notices that went out to federal employees in October, and contains language that prevents the use of federal funds to carry out any more reductions in force, known as RIFs, through January 30.
- It's a win for Democrats, federal workers and their unions, which had temporarily succeeded in halting the shutdown layoffs in court.
- And it's a loss for Office of Management and Budget chair Russell Vought, who had said he wanted as many as 10,000 federal employees terminated.
Of note: The continuing resolution (CR) states "any reduction in force proposed, noticed, initiated, executed, implemented, or otherwise taken by an Executive Agency between October 1, 2025, and the date of enactment, shall have no force or effect."
- Any employee who received a layoff notice is "returned to employment status as of September 30, 2025, without interruption," the bill says. "Such employees shall receive all pay to which they otherwise would have been entitled..."
Follow the money: The bill contains a provision ensuring backpay for federal employees who were furloughed, i.e., not working, and not getting paid.
- Last month, OMB put out a memo arguing that there is no guarantee of backpay for these workers.
- Just last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said backpay for furloughed workers "is something we are very much open to discussing with Democrats as part of the discussions about the continuing resolution to keep the government open."
What they're saying: The language in the bill is stronger than expected, says Bobby Kogan, a former OMB official, now with the progressive Center for American Progress.
- "It's a huge deal."
Reality check: The deal is not final yet. Axios is reporting that the White House is on board.
- There's nothing to prevent the White House from conducting layoffs starting in February.
What to watch: If language preventing mass firings becomes standard in budget bills going forward.
