US judge approves Trump's federal worker buyout plan
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Tens of thousands of federal workers will benefit from the plan, which will pay their salaries until October without requiring them to work in a bid to cut government spending.
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US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, on February 12, 2025. (AP)
Tens of thousands of US civil servants were cleared to take Trump's buyout on Wednesday after a judge approved the downsizing effort, with about 75,000 employees signing up for the buyout where they will receive their salaries until October without working.
Federal Worker Unions have said that the offer is not trustworthy, suing to stop the program and delaying it for six days as US District Judge George O'Toole considered the issue before ruling that the unions don't have a legal standing to sue.
The unions' lawsuit argued that the buyout was completely arbitrary and violated laws that prevent agencies from spending more money than what's approved by Congress, all while thinning the workforce in a random manner that could derail important government services.
The unions involved in the matter did not clarify whether they would appeal the decision or try for other options, however, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees said, "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."
Trump's efforts to slash government spending
The buyout comes as part of a broader effort by US President Donald Trump to reduce federal bureaucracy and government spending, however, the plan isn't guaranteed as the current spending laws expire in March, while the plan promises salaries until October.
Trump recently halted spending on media subscriptions, including for outlets Politico, with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) working on slashing over 8 million dollars going towards subsidizing subscriptions for several outlets.
Previously, DOGE announced that they had slashed over 1 billion dollars after cutting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, sharing an index that listed over 30 federal agencies and 104 contracts with a "ceiling value" of over $1.2 billion.
DOGE also worked on shutting down USAID in the beginning of February, with employees in the US being informed that the Headquarters of USAID was closed and were told to work remotely as worldwide staff were put on leave and recalled from abroad.
Musk previously said that shutting USAID down is a big part of DOGE's initiative, adding that it is "beyond repair", with Trump calling to halt all foreign aid in an "America First" bid that would cut over 1 trillion dollars in the country's deficit.
