Capitol Police officers adjust security barriers around the East Plaza at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. With just days to go before federal money runs out with the end of the fiscal year on Tuesday, Sept. 30, Congress has failed to pass legislation to keep the government running after becoming deadlocked during votes late last week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Capitol Police officers adjust security barriers around the East Plaza at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. With just days to go before federal money runs out with the end of the fiscal year on Tuesday, Sept. 30, Congress has failed to pass legislation to keep the government running after becoming deadlocked during votes late last week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the government shuts down next week.
In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is 鈥渘ot consistent with the President’s priorities.鈥 That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.
A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and elsewhere in the Trump administration.
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Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans 鈥渁s needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.
This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on . The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.
In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.
鈥淲e will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,鈥 Jeffries wrote in a post on X. 鈥淕et lost.鈥
Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a 鈥渕alignant political hack.”
Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an 鈥渁ttempt at intimidation” and predicted the 鈥渦nnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.鈥
OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans 鈥 which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed 鈥 on its website, but .
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The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill 鈥渄ue to their partisan demands,鈥 which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in
“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives 鈥渁mple resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.鈥
OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.
鈥淥MB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,鈥 it added. 鈥淧lease send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.鈥
