WASHINGTON — With the risk of a government shutdown looming, the White House is intensifying the situation by drafting a directive for federal agencies to create “reduction in force” plans should Congress fail to approve a spending bill before Oct. 1.
According to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, obtained by NBC News, the Trump administration is prepared to extend beyond the usual practice of furloughing some government workers during shutdowns by potentially terminating federal employees.
The memo states: “For those federal programs whose funding would expire and that are otherwise unfunded, such programs are no longer legally required to be operated.” It clarifies that “RIF notices will supplement any furlough notices provided due to the funding lapse.”
The memo, first reported by Politico, points to job losses for certain federal employees if the government shuts down next week.
Programs that don’t receive mandatory funding will be most affected by a shutdown, necessitating ongoing planning efforts if Democrats choose to initiate a shutdown, as the memo highlights.
The directive indicates that agencies should consider issuing reduction-in-force notices for all employees in programs, projects, or activities whose discretionary funding will expire on Oct. 1, lacking alternative funding sources, and are “not aligned with the President’s priorities.”
Democrats and Republicans are in a deadlock with government funding set to expire at the end of Tuesday. The Republican-controlled House approved a bill to fund the government until Nov. 21, yet the Senate — which needs 60 votes to pass a measure — has dismissed both Republican and Democratic proposals to keep the government functioning.
The OMB memo puts significant pressure on Democrats, in which they risk federal employees’ getting fired if they don’t vote with Republicans to keep the government open.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., fired back at OMB Director Russell Vought on Wednesday night.
“This is an attempt at intimidation. Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare,” Schumer said in a statement. “This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today.”
Jeffries, on X, wrote: “Listen Russ, you are a malignant political hack. We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a meeting scheduled for Thursday with top congressional Democrats ahead of the potential shutdown.
After Trump backed out, Schumer said: “Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown.”
Bobby Kogan, a former OMB official and the senior director of federal budget policy for the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said in a statement that reduction-in-force efforts would “be an action of enormous self-harm inflicted on the nation, needlessly ridding the country of talent and expertise.”
Monica Alba reported from Washington, Zoë Richards from New York.
