White House threatens mass firings if government shuts down
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Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The White House is threatening to use a potential short-term spending lapse to make long-term changes to the federal workforce.
Why it matters: Thousands of government employees could permanently lose their jobs if Congress doesn't reach an agreement to fund the government by Oct. 1.
- "It has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one," Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote to agencies and departments Wednesday evening.
- Vought is instructing agencies to send "Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees" in programs that are "not consistent with the president's priorities," according to the memo.
Yes, but: Vought is also indicating that programs that received money in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will not be targeted.
Between the lines: Vought is setting up a two-track approach that would be triggered by a potential shutdown.
- Jobs would be spared in programs focused on border security, immigration enforcement and national defense.
- Entire programs could be hollowed out if Vought determines they are not consistent with the president's agenda.
What they're saying: "This is an attempt at intimidation. Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement responding to Vought's plan.
- "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."
Zoom out: The Vought memo, which was first reported by Politico, marks a dramatic escalation over a government shutdown, with the White House all but daring Democrats not to support a short-term spending stopgap before Oct. 1
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Mike Johnson aren't even talking about how to avoid a government shutdown next week, Jeffries told reporters Wednesday. Trust is low.
- Democrats are demanding that President Trump and Republicans negotiate with them.
- "He's not the king. He can't just dictate," Schumer said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday.
- The House passed a short-term spending bill last week, but it failed in the Senate, where it will need at least eight Democratic votes to clear a 60-vote procedural hurdle.
Zoom in: Schumer allowed a six-month spending bill to move forward in March, but was torched by his progressive base for capitulating to Trump.
- He's now under enormous pressure not to compromise again – or at least win some significant policy concession for supplying the votes to keep the government open.
- Republicans are insisting that a short-term bill should not have major policy changes attached to it, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune is open to discussing some of the Democrat's requests, like extending premium tax credits for Obamacare health insurance, under regular order.
The bottom line: Democrats always feared that Vought would seize on a shutdown to achieve partisan goals that could never be accomplished legislatively
- He's showing them that they aren't wrong.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
