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3w ago

Trump Administration Pays 154,000 Federal Employees to Stay Home Through Fiscal Year End

Sen. Richard Blumenthal has asked Inspector General Michael Horowitz to probe DOGE spending after a Senate subcommittee estimated $21.7 billion in waste

Labor union members hold placards on the day of a rally in support of federal workers during a rush hour protest outside the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
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Overview

  • Over 154,000 federal employees are receiving eight months of pay and benefits without working through Sept. 30, 2025, under the deferred resignation program, representing just over 6 percent of the 2.3 million civilian workforce
  • The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, modeled the initiative on private-sector buyouts to incentivize voluntary departures and shrink agency headcounts
  • A Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations minority report estimated $21.7 billion in waste from the program, including $14.8 billion for voluntary buyouts and $6.1 billion for involuntary removals and administrative leave
  • Federal unions and Democratic lawmakers have filed lawsuits and secured injunctions, arguing the program exceeds statutory authority and risks critical staffing gaps
  • OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover defended the deferred resignation buyouts as a “dignified and generous departure” that delivered taxpayer savings, though agency officials have not disclosed total salary outlays for participants