White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is pushing back against claims that the federal worker buyout program is meant to target government critics. The controversial initiative offers nearly 2 million federal employees the option to resign while continuing to receive pay and benefits through September. Critics call it a political purge, but Leavitt says the goal is to reduce government spending and encourage employees to return to in-office work. With a February 6 deadline approaching, the program has sparked intense debate over the future of the federal workforce and President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to reshape government operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"