Trump's America | Why CIA wants to 'buyout' its entire workforce

America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly offered buyouts to all its employees on Tuesday (February 4) to be in sync with US President Donald Trump’s priorities of downsizing the federal government.

A spokesperson of the CIA in a statement said this move was meant to align the agency with the goals of its new Director, John Ratcliffe.

“Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities. These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy,” read the statement by the CIA spokesperson.

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Ratcliffe was Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term, and the US Senate confirmed him as the new CIA Director just days after Trump was sworn in for his second term as President.

Continuing with its shock-and-terror tactics, the new Trump administration is carrying out what he promised to do – a complete overhaul of the US federal government. Various branches of the government have fired or sidelined hundreds of federal employees with two goals in mind – downsizing the bureaucracy and installing Trump loyalists.

What are employee buyouts?

Employee buyouts are also called voluntary separation incentive payments. In other words, layoffs or workforce restructuring. US government agencies are laying off employees and offering them monetary incentives to quit.

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Last week, there were reports that the White House made an offer to 2 million civilian full-time federal employees to stop going to the office this week. In return, they would receive salary and benefits till September 30 this year.

Unions file lawsuit

In response to the massive disruption in the federal government by the new administration, unions representing US government employees have filed a lawsuit to stop the move to offer buyouts to federal workers.

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