By Tim Reid, Valerie Volcovici and Ned Parker
WASHINGTON – Fearful U.S. government workers wrestled ahead of a Thursday deadline with whether to accept a “buyout offer” from the Trump administration, which has warned that those who don’t take it could be fired in a massive downsizing of many federal agencies.
Federal worker unions renewed their warning to their members that the offer is not trustworthy and may not be legal, despite administration assurances. At least 20,000 workers have so far taken the deal, according to a White House source. That is about 1% of the government’s 2.3 million civilian workforce.
President Donald Trump has deputized Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, to lead the government overhaul, which has caused widespread panic among workers, sparked public protests in the capital and accusations by opposition Democrats that the billionaire is leading a takeover of the federal government.
The administration sent a notice to federal workers on Tuesday reminding them of the Thursday deadline and stressing there would be no extension. It included a copy of the original “deferred resignation program” that warned “the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force.”
Employees at the General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, have been bracing for mass layoffs after officials said they plan to cut spending in half.
“It’s just chaos, no-one is able to do any real work now,” said one employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Colleagues were deleting personal documents from their work computers, the person said.
Another worker at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who also asked not to be named, the mood inside their agency was one of fear and confusion. Staff believe they will likely lose their jobs whether or not they accept the offer, the person said.
Others adopted a more defiant stance, saying they would not cooperate with what they saw as an effort to destroy the nonpartisan civil service.
“I am scared about losing my job, but I am not going to give in. They need to push me out,” said an employee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
The biggest target of Musk’s overhaul so far has been USAID, the agency that distributes nearly $50 billion in foreign aid annually. Its headquarters have been closed to staff, who were told this week they will be put on administrative leave as of Friday.
The agency employed 4,675 people as of last March, including 1,450 overseas, government figures show. Trump said on Tuesday he also wants to shutter the Department of Education, which employs 4,245 people.
Trump has defended Musk’s actions and says the federal bureaucracy is too bloated and filled with people who oppose his America First political agenda. Employee unions say federal workers are nonpartisan and serve the government of the day.
Federal agencies have been told to compile a list of those who have been hired within the last two years who lack full employment protection and would be easier to fire – roughly 13% of the workforce, according to government figures.
Trump’s personal lawyer Emil Bove has already fired federal prosecutors in that category who worked on cases involving Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and has also sought to identify FBI agents involved in the probe. Trump has also fired independent watchdog officials.
MUSK’S NEW TARGET
Musk’s team is now examining personnel records at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which handles weather forecasting and climate research, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Democrats have blasted Trump’s restructuring as illegal and say it requires the permission of Congress, which under the U.S. Constitution has control over government spending.
“Who is this unelected billionaire, that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies … without any congressional review, oversight or concurrence?” said Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly, who led an effort to subpoena Musk that was blocked by Republicans.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said all 47 Democrats in the chamber will vote against confirming Trump’s pick for White House budget director, Russell Vought, but they lack the votes on their own to block his nomination.
Trump’s fellow Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, have cheered his overhaul and have shown no interest in stopping it.
“It’s not a power grab,” House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference. “I think they’re doing what we’ve all expected and hoped and asked that they would do for years.”
Labor unions that represent federal employees have sued to block Trump’s buyout offer, which claims to pay workers through October, saying his administration lacks legal authority and can’t guarantee it will be funded.
The American Federation of Government Employees told its 800,000 members that the offer should not be taken at face value.
“What is happening today is not a drive to streamline government but to destroy it,” union president Everett Kelly told a congressional hearing.
The buyout offer applies to most civilian employees, including those at the CIA. It does not apply to air traffic controllers and some others in sensitive positions. A shortage of air traffic controllers has led to flight delays and safety concerns, highlighted by last week’s deadly crash in Washington that killed 67 people.
The White House says the buyout is legal and completely voluntary. The administration urged government workers last week to quit their “lower productivity jobs” and seek work in the private sector, and to take a vacation to a “dream destination,” sparking outrage among civil servants.
(Reporting by Tim Reid, Ned Parker, Valerie Volcovici, Andy Sullivan and Gabriella Borter; Writing by Andy Sullivan, editing by Ross Colvin and Aurora Ellis)
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