Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Buyout Plan for Government Workers—Could It Be Blocked for Good?
A federal judge has paused President Donald Trump’s buyout offers for federal government employees and could block the move altogether.
US District Judge George O’Toole, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, issued an order on Thursday pausing Trump’s buyout offers just hours before the midnight deadline for employees to accept. More than two million employees were offered to resign and they would be paid through September. The move is part of Trump’s overall agenda to slash government spending and employees.
CNN national correspondent Rene Marsh called the move a “hail mary” for government employees while reporting the news.
Critics have red flagged the offers, noting the government only has congressional approved funding through mid-March, warning the offers
O’Toole will have another hearing on Monday to determine whether to ultimately block Trump’s buyout offers. O’Toole is taking more time to review the offers and determine whether they violate the law.
“I enjoined the defendants from taking any action to implement the so-called directive pending the completion of briefing and oral argument on the issues,” the judge said. “I believe that’s as far as I want to go today.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently denied accusations that the buyout offers are a way to “purge” the government of people not loyal to the president.
“That’s absolutely false. This is a suggestion to federal workers that they have to return to work. And if they don’t, then they have the option to resign,” she said. “And this administration is very generously offering to pay them for eight months.”
