Democrats Won Small Victories in the Shutdown Deal to Curb Trump's Power

"Part of the deal that secured eight Senate Democratic votes for reopening the government provided back pay for workers furloughed during the shutdown, which was predictable since it's happened after every other government closure. What was new was a provision canceling the layoffs ( reductions in force, or RIFs) that Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought ordered at the beginning of the shutdown and a ban on future layoffs during the length of the agreement."

"Tim Kaine privately laid out weeks ago what he needed in return for his vote to end the government shutdown: a "moratorium on mischief." That's what the Virginia Democrat told Senate Majority Leader John Thune that any deal had to include - undoing the firings President Donald Trump and budget director Russ Vought had carried out since the start of the shutdown, as well as protections against future firings of federal workers, who make up a significant portion of Kaine's constituency."

"The White House agreed to the provision through its Senate GOP intermediaries and, though it's never safe to assume this administration will obey the law or keep its promises, Kaine did manage to secure something of an intangible benefit beyond restored jobs for thousands of laid-off federal employees. The "moratorium on mischief" represents the very first relinquishment of captured congressional turf by the administration in 2025 and the first time Donald Trump has agreed to put a leash on Vought."

Back pay for furloughed federal workers was included in the shutdown-reopening deal. A new provision canceled reductions in force (RIFs) ordered by OMB director Russell Vought and banned future layoffs for the duration of the agreement. Senator Tim Kaine required a "moratorium on mischief" as the condition for his decisive vote. The administration agreed through Senate GOP intermediaries, restoring thousands of federal jobs and creating a temporary constraint on personnel actions. The ban on RIFs expires on January 30 when the stopgap spending patch ends. The action represents a rare curtailment of executive authority over layoffs.

Read at Intelligencer