Trump administration faces mixed results in attempts to resize federal workforce, agencies
In another week of successes and failures, the Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to shut down USAID while facing a temporary block to its federal worker buyout program.
In another week of successes and failures, the Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to shut down USAID while facing a temporary block to its federal worker buyout program.
In another week of successes and failures, the Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to shut down USAID while facing a temporary block to its federal worker buyout program.
In another week of successes and failures, the Trump administration is moving forward Friday night with a plan to shut down USAID while facing a temporary hold on its buyout program for federal workers.
On Thursday, the administration said it planned to cut USAID staff from 8,000 direct hires and contractors to fewer than 300, putting thousands on leave for the congressionally approved U.S. foreign aid program.
"We want to ensure that we're being good stewards of Americans' taxpayer dollars," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said to reporters' questions Thursday.
The move has drawn praise from some Republicans.
"Getting USAID focused on its core originating mission is critically important," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said. "I think President Trump's had the courage to get out and explain it."
But, the plan has also drawn pushback from Democrats and from federal workers suing the administration ahead of the planned USAID shutdown. The action comes in part from President Donald Trump's work with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.
"Nothing that they are trying to do has a precedent or has a basis in law," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, said. "Elon Musk has absolutely no business handling the personal information of American taxpayers, period."
Some have raised concerns over Musk's access to Treasury Department payment records as part of the federal worker buyout program, which a federal judge extended to Monday. The program has reportedly seen some 40,000 workers take the buyout.
"Elon Musk has no absolutely no business handling the personal information of American taxpayers, period," Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, said on Thursday.
Others have defended the buyout program, sparking debate over its legality and the extent of Musk's involvement.
"The DOGE employees don't have access to sensitive information," Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Georgia, said. "They have read-only access, preliminary access, and they're all just looking for inefficiencies."
Meanwhile, a federal judge is temporarily limiting the number of so-called DOGE workers who can access Treasury records, while at least plan to sue Musk over the issue.
There are more lawsuits facing Trump's latest actions.
On Thursday, a federal judge, for the second time this week, blocked Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship.
The administration also faces multiple challenges to the president's order banning transgender people from openly serving in the military.
The Trump administration continues to focus on cutting other agencies, with 168 staffers related to environmental justice being cut on Thursday.