#reduction-in-force-rif

#reduction-in-force-rif

In the memo, Vought instructed agencies to send "Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees" in programs that are "not consistent with the president's priorities." The OMB director also announced Wednesday that $18 billion in federal funds for New York City's infrastructure projects will be frozen, and $8 billion in "Green New Scam funding" will be frozen in a dozen blue states.

In March, the department enacted a reduction-in-force plan to eliminate nearly half of its employees, including 276 at OCR, as part of wider effort to dismantle the 45-year-old agency. Those RIFs prompted multiple lawsuits against the department, including New York v. McMahon and the Victim Rights Law Center v. Department of Education; while the former challenged RIFs across the entire department, the latter case was restricted to the RIFs within OCR. Federal district judges issued injunctions in both cases during the litigation process.

If the government shuts down on Oct. 1, the White House said it will look for ways to use the funding dispute to permanently eliminate some federal workers, rather than just temporarily send them home on unpaid leave. This proposed "reduction in force" outlined in a memo obtained by NPR on Wednesday would be a significant shift from past government shutdowns, when employees have been temporarily furloughed until a budget deal is reached.