Democrats are desperately begging federal employees not to accept the “buyout” being offered by President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to a report by Axios, a senior administration official revealed nearly 20,000 federal workers have taken the money, which is being offered in hopes of cutting the federal workforce by about 5-10%. The current number of employees amounts to about 1% of the force, meaning the Trump administration still has some significant work to do to meet its goal.
“We expect more to come. If you see what’s happening at USAID, it’s just one piece of the puzzle,” the official told Axios.
The outlet describes the “buyout” as entitling “federal employees to stop working more or less immediately and continue to be paid through Sept. 30.” They also claim it’s possible many of the employees who have taken the offer had already planned to leave their jobs, as the “normal attrition rate is about 6% a year.”
But Democrats are predictably crying foul, begging employees not to take the offer and claiming Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may not even have the authority to authorize the action unilaterally. Additionally, they argue that there is no way to guarantee that anyone will even get paid. House Oversight Committee Reps. Jamie Raskin and Gerry Connolly called it an “illegal scam” and Senator Chuck Schumer has been having a meltdown over DOGE acting as a “shadow government.”
CHUCK SCHUMER: “If Elon Musk and DOGE can shut down USAID, next it might be the IRS!”
Why don’t democrats understand this is EXACTLY what the American people want??! pic.twitter.com/0cQAts8kKm
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 4, 2025
An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.
DOGE is not a real government agency.
DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions.
DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law.
DOGE’s conduct cannot be…— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 3, 2025
Despite all the allegations, Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) insists the “buyouts” are a “rare, generous opportunity.”
“Union leaders and politicians telling federal workers to reject this offer are doing them a serious disservice. This is a rare, generous opportunity – one that was thoroughly vetted and intentionally designed to support employees through restructuring,” said spokesperson McLaurine Pinover. “Instead of spreading misinformation and using workers as political pawns, they should be making sure federal employees have the facts and freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families.”
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