Unions Sue Over Possible Government Layoffs During Shutdown

Federal worker unions are suing over what they contend are the Trump administration’s unlawful threats of mass firings if Republicans and Democrats in Congress can’t reach a budget deal by midnight, forcing the US government to shut down.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco, comes hours before the current fiscal year ends, at which point each branch of the government must suspend or scale back operations unless lawmakers pass a spending bill. Amid the political impasse, President Donald Trump made comments suggesting widespread layoffs are on the table.