Employees of the Defense Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency are among government workers being offered buyouts as the Trump administration aims to shrink the size of the federal government, Scripps News has learned.
The spokesperson said that the Defense Intelligence Agency has received and is implementing Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense guidance regarding the deferred resignation program. The Trump administration began offering buyouts to federal employees but had said some national security positions would be exempt from the offers.
Earlier this week, Scripps News learned that Central Intelligence Agency employees not in certain high-priority positions that remain essential to national security operations were offered buyouts.
Originally, government workers had until Thursday to decide whether to accept the buyouts. On Thursday, a judge issued a preliminary injunction, which pushed the deadline to Monday.
The American Federation of Government Employees has objected to President Trump's buyout offers as some have questioned whether the president has such broad authority to provide such buyouts.
A source familiar with the buyouts says 65,000 employees have accepted the buyout offer.
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The role of the Defense Intelligence Agency is to "provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition. We plan, manage and execute intelligence operations during peacetime, crisis and war."
Like other intelligence agencies, the budget and employment levels within the Defense Intelligence Agency are not publicly disclosed.
