Trump's $9.5B Employee Leave Expenditure Sparks Controversy
WHO:
CNN - Scott Kupor, OPM’s director, stated, “We designed the DRP as a practical, humane, and voluntary option to accelerate workforce transitions in a system that desperately needed movement.”
NBC News - The Trump administration, Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, Scott Kupor (OPM’s director).
WHAT:
CNN - The deferred resignation program was launched days after Trump took office in January 2025 through an email with the subject line “Fork in the Road.”
CNN - The GAO estimated that about $6.7 billion was spent on the deferred resignation program.
NBC News - The Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave last year.
CNN - The expenditure on paid administrative leave represented a sixfold increase in costs compared to 2023.
CNN - Federal agencies’ use of paid administrative leave increased by 435% last year.
CNN - Approximately $6.7 billion was spent on the deferred resignation program, which placed more than 144,000 employees on leave.
CNN - Just under 140,000 workers participated in the deferred resignation program.
WHERE:
CNN - The deferred resignation program was launched by the Trump administration.
WHEN:
CNN - The deferred resignation program was launched in January 2025.
CNN - The program was primarily offered early in Trump’s second term.
WHY:
CNN - Democratic Sen. Patty Murray criticized the Trump administration for spending billions on paid administrative leave, stating, “After promising to cut waste, Trump instead set billions upon billions in taxpayer dollars on fire to quite literally pay people not to do jobs they loved.”
CNN - The paid administrative leave was part of a plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money.
CNN - Administration officials claimed the effort would save taxpayers billions of dollars.
CNN - Unions warned workers against participating in the program, questioning the government's commitment to pay them.
HOW:
CNN - Employees were given the option to retire early and receive eight months of paid leave; in return, the government will save $20+ billion in costs, annually.
CNN - The deferred resignation program allowed federal staffers to resign while being placed on paid leave for several months as an incentive.
CNN - OPM defended the program as a practical, humane, and voluntary option to accelerate workforce transitions.
(UPDATED September 16, 2026 21:02 UTC)
The deferred resignation program, launched shortly after Trump took office in January 2025, was designed as a practical and voluntary option to help transition the workforce, according to Scott Kupor, the director of the Office of Personnel Management. The program has cost taxpayers approximately $6.7 billion, leading Democratic Senator Patty Murray to criticize the administration for spending so much on paid administrative leave instead of cutting waste. Employees participating in the program were offered the chance to retire early with eight months of paid leave, which the government estimates will save over $20 billion annually.
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(UPDATED September 16, 2026 16:03 UTC)
The Trump administration has reported spending $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave last year, marking a staggering sixfold increase compared to 2023. This expenditure included approximately $6.7 billion for a deferred resignation program launched in January 2025, which placed over 144,000 employees on leave, with nearly 140,000 workers participating. While administration officials assert that this initiative aims to save taxpayers billions by shrinking the government, unions have cautioned employees about the risks involved in joining the program.