(Reuters): The Trump administration continued with its enormous reorganization of the federal workforce, targeting tax authorities, scientists, and regulators. At least for the time being, a federal judge approved the administration's drastic civil service reorganization.
Since taking office last month, billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been in charge of massive layoffs across several agencies with Trump's assent. Musk, the largest contributor to Trump's campaign, has been charged with carrying out a drastic reform of the government.
Trump praised Musk’s efforts, claiming, without providing evidence, that the initiative would result in savings of "hundreds of billions of dollars." Musk's team reported $55 billion in savings so far, a figure that represents less than 1% of the federal budget.
Republican support for the plan stems from their belief that it is essential to reduce an overburdened and unaccountable federal workforce. Many see it as a means of dismantling organizations that they feel unjustly tax people and govern corporations.
Democrats, meanwhile, have fiercely resisted the action, claiming that Trump is going beyond his constitutional authority. They caution that thousands of middle-class families would be impacted by the dismantling of important government programs.
Additionally, Musk's unbridled power has drawn criticism. He has access to extremely sensitive government data without adequate monitoring or responsibility, according to critics.
At least 1,000 new workers, including rocket scientists, are anticipated to be let go as the layoffs have already reached NASA. According to others familiar with the agency's plans, further cuts might be coming.
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An anonymous NASA employee spoke of a culture of fear, saying that employees were scared to voice their concerns about the reorganization.
Musk justified the dismissals by claiming that the opposition to DOGE's actions demonstrates that the agency is operating as planned. He asserted that Trump and his administration were being purposefully harmed by an established bureaucracy.
In an interview with Fox News, Musk maintained that his department was merely battling against unelected officials who disagreed with Trump's leadership and restoring the will of the people through the president.
Government workers must piece together the extent of the firings as the White House has not released official statistics on the total number of terminations.
All federal departments have been asked to provide records of probationary employees who have been fired and those who are being retained by the Office of Personnel Management. It is still unclear, though, if the public will be informed of these numbers.
About 20 of the numerous challenges that have been brought challenging Musk's power are presently pending in federal courts. The results have been mixed, with some judges voicing concerns and others sustaining the administration's actions.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's decision to not temporarily halt DOGE's conduct was a landmark decision. She questioned whether Musk's position and department had proper control, though, and voiced concerns about his unbridled power.
Democrats in Congress have expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of response to their calls for oversight. They claim they are having trouble getting information they need for their jobs and that agency representatives are not returning their calls.
Frustrated by the lack of transparency, a Senate committee aide called the situation "very unusual."
By issuing an order claiming control over independent government agencies—aside from the government Reserve—Trump significantly increased his executive authority.
The FTC, FCC, and SEC were explicitly singled out by the White House, which claimed that they had too much influence over the public without direct presidential supervision.
Senior IRS officials identified at least 7,500 employees for layoff as part of the ongoing wave of employment layoffs.
According to internal emails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which oversees banks, has also fired an undisclosed number of new employees.
There will likely be more layoffs at FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, which might have an impact on flood insurance plans and disaster response activities.
Concerns have been raised about how the restructuring will impact regulatory agencies reviewing Musk’s business interests, including Neuralink. The government’s investigations into his company’s activities could be affected by the personnel changes.
Despite Musk’s involvement in multiple federal agencies, Trump announced that Musk would not be allowed to make decisions related to space programs.
