- A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s offer to buy out 2 million federal employees. A hearing on the offer’s legality is scheduled for Monday.
- The White House is still encouraging employees to take the deal, and it said more than 40,000 have.
- Democrats in Congress are warning employees not to take it — they say they can’t guarantee employees will be paid as promised.
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A federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s offer to buy out nearly 2 million federal employees. The judge’s order requires the administration to extend the deadline to take the deal from Thursday, Feb. 6, until after Monday, Feb. 10, when a hearing is scheduled on the offers’ legality.
According to The Associated Press, District Judge George O’Toole Jr. did not say whether he thinks the Trump administration has the authority to move forward with the plan, saying he would weigh those arguments next week.
Three labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, sued the Trump administration, arguing that the buyouts violate federal law and are “arbitrary and capricious.”
What is Trump’s team saying?
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said more than 40,000 federal workers agreed to take the deal. That’s just a fifth of the 200,000 the White House expected.
The offer allows federal workers to resign and keep their pay and benefits until Sept. 30.
“We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer,” Leavitt said. “If they don’t want to show up to the office, if they want to rip the American people off, then they’re welcome to take this buyout, and we’ll find highly competent individuals who want to fill these roles.”
The Office of Personnel Management said employees will get paid after they leave, even if there’s a government shutdown after March 14.
Should employees take the deal?
Democrats on Capitol Hill are warning employees not to take the offer because they don’t think the president has the authority to pay people who aren’t working without approval from Congress.
“I’ve been saying to all the federal employees, ‘Beware of this offer.’ I don’t believe it’s been funded,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. “I don’t believe Donald Trump has any history of ever paying his bills. And I fear that federal employees may be marked for later RIF-ing, potentially without any compensation.”
“RIF-ing” is a reference to the government term — reduction in force.
The contract workers must sign to resign, stating that they waive their right to sue the government or their agency regarding their employment.
