Around 4,200 government employees received layoff notices tied to a reduction in force brought on by the government shutdown on Friday.
The cuts targeted eight different agencies, with Treasury and Health and Human Services leading the number of terminations.
Almost 1,500 Treasury employees were laid-off according to Office of Management and Budget. Of that number, 1,300 worked for the IRS. The OMB also reported that 1,200 workers were let go from the HHS Department.
Trump, who has floated workforce downsizing since he was inaugurated earlier this year, made sure to blame the Democrats for the shutdown.
“They started this thing,” Trump told reporters during an event in the Oval Office. He also called the employment cuts “Democrat-oriented.”
Although the Republicans have the majority in both the House and Senate, they need votes from Senate Democrats to pass a funding bill.
Democrats cannot come to terms on the Republicans’ plan to cut subsidies for the tens of millions of Americans who depend on the Affordable Care Act for their healthcare needs.
Trump has threatened to target firings on departments that are the most championed by Democrats.
Trump has also ordered that at least $28 billion in infrastructure funds for New York, California and Illinois, all home to sizable populations of Democratic voters whose leaders have been critical of the administration.
Still, Democrats have vowed to stand against what Trump and the Republicans are trying to do and not succumb to pressure to fulfill Trump’s desires.
