While millions of Americans grind away at their day jobs, a new report has revealed something baffling going on behind government doors: the U.S.
Department of Education is reportedly spending $7 million a month on employees who aren’t doing any work.
Yep, you read that right. Over the past three months, that’s added up to more than $21 million in payments to idle workers, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 252.
And it’s all tied to a “buyout” deal offered at the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term.
The Trump Buyout: Paid to Leave
As part of a major effort to shrink the federal workforce, the Trump administration offered government employees the option to voluntarily resign while still receiving a paycheck.
Many took the deal, which promised continued paychecks until September 2025 — even though they no longer had to show up for work.
This deferred resignation program was pitched as a cost-saving measure, but some lawmakers are now questioning if it’s doing the opposite.
Marjorie Taylor Greene: “The Courts Are Forcing Waste”
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who heads the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), is sounding the alarm.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Greene said the courts are standing in the way of reform.
“President Trump gave federal workers an incredible offer—eight months of pay to walk away.
Hardly anyone gets that kind of deal,” she said.
But Greene claims that legal roadblocks are now keeping this program from working as intended, forcing the Department of Education to continue paying millions to people who are no longer serving the public.
“If the courts had respected the will of the American people when they voted for DOGE, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Greene added.
Senator Joni Ernst Calls It “A Slap in the Face”
Over in the Senate, Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa echoed Greene’s frustration. She slammed the situation as an insult to Americans who work hard and pay taxes.
“This is a complete slap in the face to the hardworking Americans footing the bill,” Ernst said.
She didn’t hold back, pointing to examples where government workers have used paid administrative leave for everything from attending festivals to dodging misconduct investigations.
She’s been pushing hard for reforms to stop what she calls “do-nothing bureaucrats” from draining the system.
A Bigger Agenda to Shrink Government
Senator Ernst isn’t stopping with just the Department of Education.
She’s working with Trump officials on a $2 trillion roadmap to eliminate what she sees as widespread waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government.
And at the center of that roadmap? The complete shutdown of the Department of Education.
Linda McMahon: Shut the Whole Department Down
Trump’s Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, made waves during her confirmation hearing earlier this year by openly supporting the dismantling of her own department.
“In conjunction with [Trump’s] fervor to shut down the bureaucracy of the Department of Education, he has also stated that he will work with Congress to make that happen,” McMahon said in February.
Her vision matches Trump’s campaign promise to shrink the size of the federal government significantly.
Nearly Half the Department Was Let Go in March
And this isn’t just talk. In March, the Department of Education announced it was cutting nearly half its workforce — roughly 1,300 employees.
This followed the rollout of the deferred resignation program, where around 75,000 federal employees across multiple agencies signed up to leave their posts while continuing to receive pay and benefits through the end of September 2025, or until they found another job.
Democrats Push Back: “This Is An Attack”
Not everyone’s happy about it. House Democrats on the Oversight Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee penned a letter to Linda McMahon, criticizing the mass reduction in staff.
“These 1,300 employees are dedicated public servants who’ve worked to ensure that all students can learn and thrive,” the letter said.
They argue that removing workers without evaluating their job performance is not just reckless — it’s an attack on the government’s ability to serve the people.
What’s Really Being Cut?
The fight over these buyouts and layoffs reflects a larger political divide.
Trump’s allies frame it as trimming government fat.
His opponents see it as gutting essential services and punishing career civil servants.
For now, the Department of Education continues to pay out millions to workers no longer on the job — with both sides battling over who’s to blame and what comes next.