Elon Musk's attempt to force out federal employees through a 'deferred resignation' program is facing fierce pushback. Civil servants and veterans are refusing to be intimidated, calling the scheme illegal and exposing the administration's desperation.
A demonstrator holds up a sign during a rally in front of the U.S. Treasury Department in protest of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The Trump-Musk administration is desperate to shrink the federal workforce, targeting federal employees and our intelligence agencies, but there’s just one problem: federal employees and veterans aren’t taking the bait.
Despite repeated emails, misleading promises, and thinly veiled threats, the so-called “deferred resignation” program is flopping. Instead of persuading career civil servants to abandon their posts, Musk’s latest scheme is exposing the administration’s desperation and legal recklessness.Musk’s plan to force out federal employees by dangling a “deferred resignation” is facing fierce pushback from those who understand the law. His efforts to leverage his control of DOGE against the government further hampers Musk’s plans. In the end, this debacle will likely cost the federal government more in legal fees, settlements, and billable legal hours than ever. The “deferred resignation” program, for example, was not established by Congress or lawfully by the president. Despite this, he has sent out multiple “Fork in the Road” emails, mirroring his infamous layoffs at X, formerly Twitter. The message is clear: take a buyout now and get paid through September, or risk being fired or furloughed later. The tens of thousands of veterans who transitioned to government service after their military careers know the law. The government cannot pay a federal worker for work they did not perform unless Congress specifically authorizes it. That would most likely take years. In any case, there is no guarantee that Congress would ever approve such funding, especially given the ongoing dysfunction, with Republicans struggling to fund their own government, draft a reconciliation bill, or elect a leader. Federal employees know their rights, and they recognize this scheme for what it is: an illegal power play riddled with political gamesmanship and destined for legal challenges.Workers are organizing and speaking out against Musk’s actions. Unions are advising workers about the risks of taking the resignation offer, calling it misleading and potentially illegal. Employment lawyers have pointed out that Congress, not the White House, controls federal paychecks, meaning any promise of severance payments could easily collapse in court. If Musk and Trump actually had the authority to fire these workers en masse, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to scare them into leaving voluntarily. Musk’s attempt to gut the federal workforce isn’t just bad policy — it’s a direct attack on veterans. Nearly one-third of all federal employees are veterans and are concentrated in targeted agencies like the Department of Defense and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. Many of these veterans rely on their jobs to support their families and secure benefits they earned through service. Pushing them out under the guise of “efficiency” is a disgrace. This administration claims to support the troops, yet they’re trying to force veterans out of government and onto uncertain ground. Musk, who has never let legality get in the way of his whims. Now, he’s trying to impose the same chaotic mismanagement on the U.S. government. But the government isn’t a Silicon Valley startup full of college students eager to please their billionaire boss. Federal employees won’t just roll over. Veterans and civil servants are accomplished professionals who have dedicated their lives to the Constitution of the United States of America. It’s something Musk simply couldn’t understand — but that soon, he will. We are holding the line — refusing to abandon our posts, refusing to be intimidated, and exposing this reckless power grab for what it is. We all took an oath to support and defend OUR Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That oath never expires. Musk wouldn’t know. He never took it
Federal Employees Elon Musk Department Of Government Efficiency Deferred Resignation Veterans Government Shutdown Legal Challenges
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