White House orders federal agencies to draft mass firing plans ahead of possible shutdown
The White House has directed federal agencies to prepare for mass firings in the event of a government shutdown next week, a significant departure from the temporary furloughs typically implemented during funding lapses.
In a memo sent Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed agencies to identify programs and activities that would lose discretionary funding on October 1 if Congress fails to approve a budget. Agencies were also told to draft reduction-in-force plans and issue notices to employees, including those who might otherwise be exempt, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the OMB said in the memo, which was first reported by Politico.
The move comes as President Donald Trump escalates his push to shrink the federal workforce, which he has frequently criticized as bloated and inefficient. Upon taking office in January, Trump launched a campaign to cut government staff, and by the end of 2025, around 300,000 federal civilian workers will have left their jobs, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
The looming deadline is September 30 — the final day of the fiscal year — when both a partial shutdown could begin and roughly 154,000 employees who accepted buyouts are set to exit the payroll.
Trump this week canceled a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders, intensifying the budget standoff. Both parties continue to blame each other for the impasse.
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