A federal judge in Northern California has extended her earlier order that temporarily blocked the White House Office of Management and Budget from furloughing thousands of government employees, including many from the Department of Energy, during the shutdown, according to published reports.
News outlets, including CNBC reported U.S. District Judge Susan Illston was issuing a preliminary injunction following a Tuesday hearing in San Francisco in a case brought by a major labor union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
The action extends an earlier temporary order around Oct. 15 by the same judge.
On Oct. 10, the administration defendants “began implementing the decision to lay off federal employees during the government shutdown that began October 1 by sending notices of RIFs [reductions in force] to employees of at least eight federal agencies,” the plaintiffs in an Oct. 15 motion.
The union motion said that President Donald Trump, OMB Director Russell Vought and other administration officials “have repeatedly explained, these layoffs have been aimed at programs perceived to be supported by “Democrats,” using federal employees’ lives and livelihoods as pawns for partisan political gain.”
Separately, the president of AFGE, Everett Kelley, issued a statement Monday saying it is past time to end the shutdown that started Oct. 1.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” Kelley said. “No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today. “
Democrats in the Senate were quoted by CNN as saying they are sympathetic to the federal workers plight but want negotiations with Republicans on key issues.