TRANSCRIPT
US President Donald Trump's plans to dramatically and rapidly reshape the government has suffered a setback.
A new memo has been issued by the US Office of Management Budget withdrawing an earlier controversial memo announcing a freeze on trillions in federal funding.
The vaguely worded memo had sparked mass confusion over which programs would be subject to the funding freeze.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the plan was not a blanket pause, but Democratic-led states and nonprofits launching legal action say there is real concern about the implications of the pause on funding for vital programs covering foreign aid; and services for low-income families encompassing food, health and housing.
New York Attorney General Letitia James says the legal action she is leading will continue. It involves the group of states suing the administration over the funding freeze, and she labelled the withdrawn memo as a tactic that adds "more confusion and chaos".
The top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Patty Murray, welcomed the development as a victory for American people who voiced their concerns - but added the fight is far from over.
"They are still blocking things like international aid, clean air and water projects. Investments in new clean energy jobs. And a lot of other projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law, which Trump is stopping with his illegal executive orders. And aside from the fact that they have not stopped blocking this funding illegally, their blatant attempt to illegally freeze trillions more in one fell swoop is - mark my words - a clear sign of what is to come. More lawless cuts, more chaos, more pain for our families. Trump has made it clear that he is not going to stop. Unless Congress and the American people make clear that we are not going to stand for this."
President Donald Trump blamed the media for the widespread confusion, saying the plan was about ensuring spending was aligned with his executive orders.
And he moved quickly to announce he has "taken strong action to regain control of the Washington bureaucracy" in other ways, including through an email offer to federal workers to resign and receive pay for eight months.
The government's HR agency emailed the offer, which mentions a new requirement that most employees work in their offices five days a week.
Mr Trump says federal workers must agree to show up for work in the office by February 6 - or their employment will be terminated.
"We're requiring them to show up to work or be terminated. We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work and therefore, our government will get smaller and more efficient. And that's what we've been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly."
Senior Trump officials told US media that the plan could save the government up to A$160 billion.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the suggestion that the offer to federal employees is a purge of employees not considered loyal to Donald Trump.
"This is a suggestion to federal workers that they have to return to work, to work. And if they don't, then they have the option to resign. And this administration is very generously offering to pay them for eight months. 6% of the federal workforce in this city actually shows up to work. That's unacceptable. We're all here at work, at the office."
Federal employee unions have condemned the email, saying the way it's worded doesn't guarantee workers anything - and they are advising employees not to resign in haste.
Oscar Williams Junior is from the largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees National Veterans Affairs Council, which represents 800,000 workers.
"Well, I'm getting calls from locals I represent in the state of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, because their employees want to know, can they go out? Now they really think they're getting a buyout. And I told them, I said 'where does it offer you $25,000?' Because it says in here, if you reply, typed the word resign and hit send. So people need to be careful."
Meanwhile, the Senate has begun voting on confirmations for President Trump's nominees to serve in his Cabinet.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, Mr Trump's pick for the role of US Secretary of Health, Robert F Kennedy Junior, faced questions about his stance on vaccines.
Critics of Mr Kennedy say he has previously promoted dangerous misconceptions about vaccines, including his cousin Caroline Kennedy, the former US Ambassador to Australia, who argues he has a record of encouraging people not to immunise their children.
But in his opening statement before the committee, Mr Kennedy has told senators he doesn't agree with being described as anti-vaccine.
"I am pro safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish and nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've written many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, the first line of it is 'I am not anti-vaccine,' and the last line is 'I am not anti-vaccine'."
In a surprise announcement, President Donald Trump says he has ordered the Defense and Homeland Security Departments to transform the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into a holding centre for up to 30,000 undocumented immigrants.
"Today, I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay. Most people don’t even know about it. We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."
Human rights groups have long called for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, citing inhumane treatment and a lack of legal protections.
Opened in 2002, the US naval base is well-known as a site for the detention of terrorism suspects, but it also hosts a separate migrant processing centre.
In a statement, Cuba's President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, criticised the plan, describing it as "an act of brutality" that will see the forcible expulsion of thousands of migrants to be housed next to what he called "well-known prisons of torture and illegal detention".
