Federal agencies submitted their plans on Thursday to the Office of Personnel Management for widespread federal worker layoffs, which will soon provide the clearest picture yet of President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the U.S. federal government.
Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has pursued a sweeping effort to slash the size of the 2.3 million-member federal workforce, which has so far led to the cuts of 100,000 jobs in addition to the canceling of thousands of contracts and programs.
The plans for an impending reduction come after a federal judge on Thursday ordered multiple agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary employees. The White House said it plans to fight the ruling, calling it “absurd” and “unconstitutional.” Dozens of additional lawsuits have been filed by labor unions and other groups challenging the legality of the terminations with a mix of outcomes.
The looming proposals scrambled government funding negotiations earlier in the week, when Democrats stoked fears of a government shutdown. At the end of the day Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he’d vote to clear a path for final passage of a House-passed bill, an indication that a shutdown would likely be averted.
A number of agencies have already publicized the number of employees they plan to cut in the next phase of layoffs. The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cut 80,000 employees by the summer. The Social Security Administration announced it plans to cut 7,000 employees. The Education Department said Tuesday it would cut nearly half of its 4,000 staff.
“They are once again using a sledgehammer and they are not doing this at all in a smart way, but mostly this is going to undermine so much of the work that we’re doing in education, which is of course the heart of the American dream,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said.
Details about other agency’s proposals are still coming into focus. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to lay off more than 1,000 workers, according to sources familiar, on top of previous cuts. The IRS is proposing a major downsize, resulting in a 20% reduction in its workforce following Tax Day, according to reporting from CNN.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the ranking member of the Finance Committee, pointed to a new Yale Budget Lab report, which found the proposed layoffs could lead to a 10-year deficit increase of $2.4 trillion.
“Taking a wrecking ball to the IRS is just another way for Trump and Musk to help their rich buddies get away with cheating on their taxes,” he said in a statement.
.@SenBlumenthal, @RubenGallego and @SenSanders are commending a recent court ruling that calls on six federal agencies to rehire thousands of workers with probationary status who had been fired. pic.twitter.com/ilyppxgv70
— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) March 13, 2025
Some lawmakers are attempting to combat the cuts through legislation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of other Democrats introduced a bill to reinstate all veterans in the federal workforce who were fired, demoted or suspended under the Trump administration’s workforce policies and provide them with backpay.
“We know that these reckless firings at the VA are not only harmful but illegal,” Blumenthal said during a press conference, standing alongside Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
“The VA system of healthcare and benefits has been disastrously and disgracefully put on the chopping block by the Trump administration. Elon Musk’s heartless and heartbreaking cuts, freezes, and firings are not just bad for the people who have been immediately affected but for the veterans suffering real-life impacts,” he added.
Others are holding press conferences with terminated federal workers and demonstrating in front of federal agency headquarters. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) held a virtual press conference on Thursday to express her concern over looming cuts at NOAA.
“This work is make or break — not just for Washington state, but for our entire country. So, it is beyond alarming to me that right now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are choosing ‘break’ and taking a wrecking ball to NOAA offices,” Murray said on the call. “They are firing public servants, they’re firing our experts, they’re closing buildings, like at Port Angeles, and they’re throwing a lot of critical work into jeopardy.”
Some Republicans are looking for some reassurances about the impact of looming cuts. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, said he intends to introduce legislation that would restrict the Trump administration’s cuts to the VA’s workforce.
“I am working on legislation that would require the VA’s workforce planning to follow that model, because Congress must play a significant role in strategically shaping VA workforce decisions to achieve the right outcomes for veterans and their families,” Moran said during a hearing on Tuesday.
Others admit there will be growing pains at some federal agencies during the restructuring period. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said he’s been paying attention to the situation at the Social Security Administration, where according to reporting from the Washington Post, wait times for basic phone service have grown in some cases to hours.
“I think the Social Security Administration, like a lot of agencies in government right now are in the process of being reorganized and just because a decision is being made today doesn’t mean it won’t be reversed after reflection in the reforms, so we’ll just have to see,” Kennedy said.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said the cuts, specifically those at the Department of Education, could go to support students and school districts instead of funding salaries and buildings in Washington.
US AGENCIES FACING THURSDAY DEADLINE TO PRESENT PLANS FOR ‘LARGE-SCALE REDUCTIONS IN FORCE’
“It could allow that money to go to local school districts and parents,” Hawley said, speaking to reporters on Thursday. “I think about my state, giving the school districts in my state more of those funds, more control over the funds, that’s my hope.”
According to a White House memo sent to federal agencies in February, agencies are expected to submit more plans about how they will consolidate management and relocate offices to less expensive parts of the country by April 14. The proposals are expected to be implemented by Sept. 30.
Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.