The White House has asked federal agencies to prepare plans for mass firings in the event of a potential government shutdown next week, signaling a significant shift from the temporary furloughs that typically occur during such shutdowns. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo instructing agencies to identify programs, projects, and activities that would lose discretionary funding on October 1 if Congress fails to pass legislation to keep the government operational.
The OMB noted that programs without mandatory appropriations would be the hardest hit by a shutdown. It remains unclear whether the administration intends to use a potential shutdown to advance President Donald Trump's goal of cutting the federal workforce or as a negotiating tactic to pressure Democrats into approving Republican funding legislation. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the move an intimidation tactic, predicting that any firings would ultimately be overturned in court.
Agencies were directed to submit their proposed reduction-in-force plans to the OMB and to issue notices to affected employees. The memo was first reported by Politico. The request comes after Trump canceled a meeting with top Democratic leaders to discuss government funding, increasing the likelihood of a partial shutdown. Both parties have blamed each other for the funding impasse.
Since taking office in January, Trump has pursued a plan to downsize the federal civilian workforce, which numbers about 2.4 million. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters that roughly 300,000 federal employees will have left their positions by the end of 2025, with 154,000 accepting buyouts and scheduled to leave by September 30, the final day of the fiscal year and the deadline for Congress and the President to reach a funding agreement.
