White House to agencies: Prepare mass firing plans for a potential shutdown

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

The White House budget office is instructing federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force plans for mass firings during a possible government shutdown, specifically targeting employees who work for programs that are not legally required to continue.

The Office of Management and Budget move to permanently reduce the government workforce if there is a shutdown, outlined in a memo shared with POLITICO ahead of release to agencies tonight, escalates the stakes of a potential shutdown next week.

The move marks a significant break from how shutdowns have been handled in recent decades, when most furloughs were temporary and employees were brought back once Congress voted to reopen government and funding was restored. This time, OMB Director Russ Vought is using the threat of permanent job cuts as leverage, upping the ante in the standoff with Democrats in Congress over government spending.

“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” OMB wrote in the memo. Agencies were told to submit their proposed RIF plans to OMB and to issue notices to employees even if they would otherwise be excepted or furloughed during a lapse in funding.

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/white-house-firings-shutdown-00579909

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This thugocracy is more evil by the hour.

[yellow dahlia]

1. Evil indeed.

[Hieronymus Phact]

2. Well there it is

The reason he walked from the table.
This will just be a great excuse to do what he's been doing but on steroids.

[FalloutShelter]

3. I would not put it past the felon and his rethugs

To use a shut down to declare a national emergency and perhaps even dissolve Congress.

Done...it's over.

I don't put anything past them.

[moosewhisperer]

6. Nope

He doesn’t have the authority to dissolve Congress, even under emergency powers.

[Turbineguy]

4. Shutdown. It's a great Epstein diversion.

What did trump do?

[C Moon]

5. Yep!