Obama Trying to Avoid Government-Caused Layoffs Just Before Election

According to several GOP Leaders, the White House is deliberately trying to avoid Federal layoff notices from going out just prior to the November election.

If congress cannot reach an agreement on deficit-reduction legislation, on Jan. 2 automatic budget reductions go into place.

The WARN Act requires Federal workers to be notified of layoffs no fewer than 60 days prior to the event. If the automatic budget cuts go into effect, at least eight defense contractors will have to layoff thousands -- if not tens of thousands -- of workers.

Congressman Ted Inhofe (R-OK) is among those accusing the Obama Administration of "intimidating" military and non-military companies who do business with the government into not sending out the notifications until after the Nov. 6 general election. Inhofe says Obama's biggest worry is not that thousands could be losing their jobs, but that he doesn't want 120,000+ pink slips flooding prospective voters just four days before polls open.

Some Federal officials are arguing the layoffs do not apply to these workers because the way the WARN Act is structured.