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More than 20,000 federal workers accept Trump buyout offer


More than 20,000 federal employees have agreed to resign under the Trump administration’s buyout offer, according to Reuters. The resignation program allows workers who accept the deal by Thursday, Feb. 6, to stop working immediately while continuing to receive full pay and benefits through September.

The offer was extended to roughly 2 million full-time civil workers, with the White House expecting up to 10% to take it. However, unless there is a sudden surge in acceptances over the next two days, the actual reduction in the federal workforce will likely be only 1%-2%.

Questions Over Legality and Union Pushback

The buyout program was announced on Jan. 28 and was met with immediate skepticism. Legal experts questioned whether the executive branch has the authority to pay employees who are no longer working without congressional approval. While the debate continues, the administration has moved forward with the plan undeterred.

Some federal workers also expressed doubts, suspecting the offer could be a trap. Their concerns stem from the fact that the government is set to run out of funding in March unless Congress reaches a new budget deal. The Trump administration, however, has assured workers they will be fully compensated through September.

Federal employee unions have strongly opposed the program, warning their members not to take the deal.

“Make no mistake: this email is designed to entice or scare you into resigning from the federal government,” the National Treasury Employees Union said in a message to its members. “We strongly urge you not to resign in response to this email.”

Cost Savings Fall Short of Expectations

The resignation program is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to shrink the size and cost of the federal government. An estimate from Elon Musk’s SuperPac suggested the initiative could save up to $100 billion. However, given the lower-than-expected participation, those savings are now projected to fall significantly short of that goal.

With the deadline looming, it remains to be seen if more federal employees will take the offer or if skepticism will keep numbers low. Either way, this program represents one of the most controversial workforce reduction efforts in recent history.

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