More than 154,000 employees are being paid not to work under a deferred resignation program that runs through September 30. Designed to streamline the federal workforce, the program offers buyouts while maintaining pay and benefits until the end of the fiscal year. Critics say it has disrupted operations, sparked lawsuits, and wasted taxpayer money—while proponents argue it's an innovative and dignified cost-cutting strategy. Senate Democrats estimate that mismanagement tied to the program has cost $21.7 billion, though that figure is disputed by the administration.
See "Federal government paying 154,000 people not to work", Benjamin Siegel and Cheyenne Haslett, ABC News, July 31, 2025