As the deadline nears to avert a government shutdown, President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget have threatened mass firings of federal workers. Such a move would be an extreme departure from past shutdowns, during which federal government employees are usually furloughed. But it is entirely in keeping with the first eight months of this administration, during which the president and those under him have slashed the federal workforce, dismantled institutions, disrupted critical programs and services, and in the process endangered the nation’s public health, economic well-being and national security.
In an effort to shine light on the damage taking place, my organization, the Partnership for Public Service, created the Federal Harms Tracker, a data and story-telling project that documents the cuts to federal personnel. As of late September, we found the federal workforce had lost 201,386 employees through firings, forced relocations and a deferred resignation program. The administration has said it expects that number to be about 300,000 by the end of the year, or 1 in 8 federal workers. The result is a cascade of significant and unnecessary damage across our country.
