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Trump and Russ Vought, his Office of Management and Budget director, have been threatening mass firings of federal workers amid the government shutdown. But that would be plainly illegal, Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) said Wednesday.
“As an appropriator, I know it’s illegal and unconstitutional what they’re talking about,” Levin said on a press call led by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
“The law is very clear on this,” continued Levin, who is an attorney and a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “A shutdown triggers furloughs, temporary furloughs, so the government declares people as either essential or as non essential, and they either are sent home on furlough or they have to work without pay. But in no event does a shutdown give the legal ability for – particularly for the budget director – to just go firing a bunch of people.”
He noted a lawsuit was just filed Tuesday in a California district court aimed at preemptively preventing Vought from moving forward with plans for mass firings during the shutdown.
The suit, brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, accuses OMB and Vought of planning for an unlawful abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.
Levin called Vought’s threats nonsense.
“All they’ve got is intimidation and bullying and mean-spirited garbage on social media,” said the California congressman. “That’s all they got.”