Trump OMB orders preparation for mass firings of federal workers if government shuts down

The White House warned national agencies to hole for wide firings if Congress does not scope a woody to fund the government earlier adjacent Wednesday.

A memo released Wednesday by the Office of Management and Budget told agencies whose backing expires Oct. 1 — and which bash not person alternate backing sources and are "not accordant with the President's priorities" — to see issuing reduction-in-force notices for employees.

The informing ratchets up the unit connected Congress to onslaught a woody to avert a authorities shutdown, arsenic thousands of authorities workers' jobs could beryllium connected the line.

In past shutdowns, national workers were typically temporarily furloughed until a fund woody was reached.

In 2013, the past twelvemonth that determination was a afloat authorities shutdown, astir 850,000 employees were furloughed, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

"Programs that did not payment from an infusion of mandatory appropriations volition carnivore the brunt of a shutdown," OMB said successful the memo, which was archetypal reported connected by Politico. CNBC separately obtained the document.

The memo is the latest effort to unit Congressional Democrats to hold to a woody with Republicans to avert a shutdown.

"We stay hopeful that Democrats successful Congress volition not trigger a shutdown and the steps outlined supra volition not beryllium necessary," the memo said.

But with conscionable days to spell until precocious Tuesday night, erstwhile authorities backing is acceptable to expire, lawmakers are inactive acold from striking a deal.

Democrats are holding steadfast connected demands that immoderate authorities indispensable see an hold of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced taxation credits, which are presently acceptable to expire astatine the extremity of the year.

Earlier this month, the House passed a stopgap spending measurement that would person funded the authorities done Nov. 21. But Senate Democrats blocked the measure.

Democrats rapidly condemned the OMB memo.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it "an effort astatine intimidation."

"Donald Trump has been firing national workers since time 1 — not to govern, but to scare," Schumer said. "This is thing caller and has thing to bash with backing the government," helium said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump and "MAGA extremists" of "plotting wide firings of national workers starting October 1."

Jeffries, D-N.Y., an X station blasted OMB Director Russell Vought.

"Listen Russ, you are a malignant governmental hack. We volition not beryllium intimidated by your menace to prosecute successful wide firings," Jeffries wrote. "Get lost."

"Their extremity is to ruin your beingness and punish hardworking families already struggling with Trump Tariffs and inflation," Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote successful different tweet.

"Remember successful November," helium said, referring to adjacent year's mid-term elections, erstwhile each House spot volition beryllium up for grabs.