The Scoop
About 75,000 federal workers accepted the Trump administration’s deferred buyout program, a senior administration official told Semafor.
The news comes just hours after a federal judge lifted a pause on the program, which offered over two million federal employees to be paid through Sept. 30 if they resign by a certain date. The original deadline to resign was Feb. 6, but that was extended amid the legal pushback.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the win in court as “the first of many legal wins” for Trump. McLaurine Pinover, the Office of Personnel Management communications director, said in a statement that they are “pleased the court” rejected the effort to strike down the program. Pinover added that the program closed at 7 p.m.
“This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures,” she said.
Know More
Tonight’s final numbers represent around 3.75% of the workforce, and includes those offered a buyout in the CIA.
Trump’s buyout program is part of the administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce. On Tuesday, the president signed an executive order also aimed at this key initiative: The order directed agencies to work with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to cut staff and limit hiring, with a goal of “significantly” reducing the size of government.
While the Trump administration is celebrating a win tonight, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that prompted the pause told Axios that the ruling “is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants.”
Notable
- The layoffs, offered via mass email, mirrored Musk’s approach to cutting costs in his private companies.