The White House on Thursday instructed federal agencies to prepare for possible large-scale firings as President Donald Trump’s administration braces for a government shutdown.
In a memo obtained by AFP, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) warned that the administration would go beyond the usual furloughs that accompany shutdowns. Instead, agencies were told to draw up “Reduction in Force (RIF)” plans and inform employees accordingly.
The directive comes as Trump remains locked in a standoff with congressional Democrats over federal funding ahead of the September 30 fiscal deadline. If no agreement is reached, non-essential government operations will grind to a halt, leaving hundreds of thousands of civil servants without pay.
The OMB memo accused Democrats of making “a series of insane demands” and abandoning a decade-long pattern of bipartisan deals to avert shutdowns. It added that the move was in line with mass firings carried out earlier this year under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Trump ally Elon Musk.
Democrats fired back. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the warning, telling the White House to “get lost.” On X, he blasted OMB chief Russ Vought as a “malignant political hack” and vowed not to be intimidated.
With both chambers of Congress on recess until Monday, the window to strike a deal is narrowing. Republicans, holding slim majorities in both the House and Senate, insist Democrats must accept their stopgap funding proposal, which would extend government funding only through November 21.
The last shutdown occurred in March when Republicans clashed with Democrats over Trump’s sweeping budget cuts and federal layoffs.
What you should know
If Congress fails to act before September 30, the U.S. faces another government shutdown, but this time, the Trump administration is signaling it could use the crisis to make permanent staff cuts, a sharp departure from past shutdown practices.
