Trump is moving faster than ever before. No one knows how to stop him.
Now a federal judge handed Trump a massive victory that is sending Democrats into tears.
Judge Upholds Trump Administration’s Federal Buyout Program, Deals Blow to Union Opposition
A federal judge delivered a significant victory to President Donald Trump on Wednesday by rejecting an attempt to block his administration’s federal worker buyout program — part of his effort to shrink the bloated bureaucracy in Washington.
U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole, a Clinton appointee, ruled that the union groups trying to halt the so-called “Deferred Resignation” program lacked standing and that his Massachusetts-based court had no jurisdiction to intervene.
“The plaintiffs here are not directly impacted by the directive,” O’Toole wrote in his decision. “Instead, they allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm.”
“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees,” the judge added. “This is not sufficient.”
The ruling clears the path for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to proceed with the buyout program, which offered federal workers roughly eight months of pay and benefits if they voluntarily resigned rather than comply with Trump’s return-to-office mandate. OPM had set a February 6 deadline for the program, warning that those who stayed should brace for downsizing, restructuring, and workforce reductions.
The unions, representing more than 800,000 federal workers, cried foul, calling the program illegal and unfair. But the court’s ruling confirmed what the administration had maintained all along.
“OPM is pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program,” said agency spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover. “As of 7:00 p.m. tonight, the program is now closed.”
“There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees,” she continued.
“This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”
So far, approximately 75,000 federal employees have taken the deal. The buyout did not apply to all federal workers; members of the military, postal service, national security personnel, and immigration and border enforcement officers were excluded.
However, in a surprising move, the CIA extended the offer to its entire workforce, aligning itself more closely with Trump’s vision for a streamlined intelligence community.
The unions, meanwhile, aren’t giving up without a fight. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the leading groups behind the lawsuit, vowed to continue their legal battle.
“Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it’s not the end of that fight,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a statement. “AFGE’s lawyers are evaluating the decision and assessing next steps.”
Kelley also took a swipe at the program’s implementation. “Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program,” he noted. “We continue to maintain it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk.”
The Trump administration’s push to reduce the size of the federal workforce has faced constant opposition from union leaders who rely on a vast, entrenched bureaucracy to maintain their power.
This ruling, however, marks a clear win for the administration — and a stark warning to union bosses that the days of unchecked federal bloat may be coming to an end.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
