Over 40,000 Federal Workers Have Resigned. Trump Wants More Resignations

More than 40,000 federal workers have decided to resign, putting the Trump administration at risk of falling short of its target for slashing the government through voluntary measures. 

The Office of Personnel Management told workers last week that they have until Thursday, February 6th whether to take a buyout. This would mean they would voluntarily resign, but still get paid until September 30th. If they don’t, they will be at risk of being fired.

The White House, which previously said it expected as many as 200,000 people to accept, told the media that they expect a spike in participation in the next 24 hours. The resignation scheme’s announcement – delivered in the form of a late-night email – is part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to slash the size of the federal bureaucracy and cut spending.

On Tuesday, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) became the first national security arm to extend the buyout offer to its staff, telling its entire workforce they could quit and receive about eight months of pay and benefits.

This Trump administration order has created confusion for some about its legality, and whether the White House has the authority to usurp Congress in administering paychecks to workers who quit.

But it is clear that the Trump administration does not want a bloated bureaucracy filled with people who will try to stymie their agenda. President Trump is not going to waste any time getting bogged down. Things are changing at all levels of the federal government.