The White House has instructed federal agencies to draw up plans for large-scale firings of workers if the government shuts down next week amid a partisan dispute over spending, a move that Democrats condemned as intimidation.
In a memo released on Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programmes whose funding would lapse and which are not consistent with President Donald Trump's priorities. This marks a significant escalation from previous shutdowns, when non-essential workers were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved new funding. A mass firing would eliminate posts outright, adding to the upheaval already experienced by the federal workforce this year, including the dramatic cuts led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) early in Trump's second term.
Asked about the prospect of a shutdown, Trump said it 'could be' because 'the Democrats are crazed. They don't know what they're doing.' He repeated his claim that Democrats were insisting on funding 'to give the money to illegal aliens', although the key sticking point in negotiations is their demand for an extension of subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, on which millions rely.
The memo drew sharp reactions from Democratic leaders. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, wrote on X: 'We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.' He called Russ Vought, the OMB director, a 'malignant political hack.' Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the memo was 'an attempt at intimidation' and predicted the firings would either be overturned in court or the administration would end up rehiring workers.
The OMB memo, first reported by Politico, said agencies should submit their plans in case of a shutdown by 1 August. It argued that the Republican tax and immigration package provided 'ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.' The memo also said that once any shutdown ended, agencies would be asked to revise their reduction in force plans 'as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions.'
Meanwhile, hundreds of federal employees sacked during Musk's cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work. The General Services Administration (GSA) has given former employees, who managed government workspaces, until the end of the week to decide, according to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press. Those who accept must report on 6 October after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation. Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official, said: 'Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed. They didn't have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.'
