More than 20,000 federal employees have informed the U.S. government they are willing to quit their posts under an incentive program that has a Thursday deadline, a source told Reuters.
The White House last week offered 2 million civilian full-time federal workers an opportunity to stop working this week and receive pay and benefits through Sept. 30 as the Trump administration seeks to slash the size of the U.S. government. Some Democrats say the offer is not legal.
The White House said Sunday it was exempting public safety employees, including air traffic controllers, from the "deferred resignation program." The White House Office of Personnel Management defended the legality of the program in a memo to agencies on Tuesday.
