Washington: The White House has instructed federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs if the US government shuts down next week amid a partisan standoff over spending.
In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to consider reductions in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse and which are not consistent with the president’s priorities.
This represents a sharper approach than previous shutdowns, when non-essential federal workers were typically furloughed and returned once Congress approved new funding.
A mass firing would permanently eliminate positions, compounding the upheaval already caused by earlier workforce reductions. This year, several federal employees were laid off during cost-cutting measures, including a controversial program led by Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) under the second Trump administration. Some of those employees are now being asked to return to work. The General Services Administration (GSA) gave affected staff until the end of the week to accept reinstatement, with a reporting date of Oct. 6.
Democrats are about to shut down the federal government because President Trump won’t force American taxpayers to pay for free health care for illegal aliens.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 25, 2025
The OMB memo also instructed agencies to revise reduction plans after any potential shutdown to maintain the minimal number of employees necessary to perform statutory functions. The guidance was first reported by Politico.
Democratic leaders immediately condemned the directive. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called OMB Director Russ Vought a malignant political hack and said that, “We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the memo as an attempt at intimidation and predicted that unnecessary firings would either be overturned in court or that the administration would end up rehiring the workers.
The memo comes as Democrats remain largely united against a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), proposed by the White House and congressional Republicans. The bill would keep the government open for seven more weeks, but requires immediate improvements in health care in exchange for Democratic support.
OMB emphasized that the administration is prepared for a shutdown, citing resources from the GOP’s signature tax and anti-immigration spending package to ensure core priorities continue uninterrupted.
