Overview

• President Trump's administration offered federal employees a buyout plan, providing full salary and benefits through September 30, 2025, if they resign by February 6.
• As of Tuesday, approximately 20,000 federal workers—about 1% of the workforce—have accepted the offer, far below the administration's expectations of 5% to 10%.
• The CIA became the first national security agency to extend the buyout offer to its entire workforce, with Director John Ratcliffe citing alignment with Trump's national security priorities.
• Unions representing federal workers have filed lawsuits, arguing the buyout plan is unlawful, unfunded, and creates risks for government functionality due to potential mass resignations.
• The Trump administration has indicated that workers declining the buyout could face future layoffs as part of its broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government.