The White House is instructing federal agencies to prepare sweeping reduction-in-force plans that could lead to permanent job cuts if the government partially shuts down on Oct. 1, intensifying a showdown between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over government funding.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo directing agencies to identify programs and projects that will lose discretionary funding when the fiscal year ends and to draft plans for layoffs that go beyond temporary furloughs. "Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown," the memo said, signaling a break from decades of past practice in which most furloughed employees were eventually reinstated once funding was restored.
OMB Director Russ Vought's directive requires agencies to submit proposed reduction-in-force (RIF) plans and issue advance notices to employees, even those who might otherwise be excepted during a lapse in funding. Programs considered essential-such as Social Security, Medicare, military operations, air traffic control, and federal law enforcement-will continue regardless of a shutdown, an OMB official said.
The memo escalates the political standoff just days before the deadline to keep the government funded. The House passed a stopgap bill to extend federal funding through Nov. 21, but Senate Democrats have blocked the measure, seeking to roll back cuts to Medicaid and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans argue that Democrats' proposals would add $1 trillion in spending over a decade.
Democratic leaders accused the administration of using the threat of permanent firings as a political weapon. "This is an attempt at intimidation," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since Day One - not to govern, but to scare."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that the White House's plan would disproportionately affect Virginia, home to thousands of federal workers. "Donald Trump and MAGA extremists are plotting mass firings of federal workers starting October 1," Jeffries said in a social media post, urging voters to "remember in November."
The White House defended its move, characterizing Democratic demands as "insane" and insisting that contingency planning is necessary. "It has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one," OMB wrote.
