Trump speaks near director of Office of Management and Budget
President Donald Trump speaks as Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in foreground left, and from background left, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair and Mark Paoletta, general counsel with the Office of Management and Budget, listen as Trump visits the Federal Reserve, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the government shuts down next week. In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns. A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate the position. That adds potential pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who have kept nearly all of their ranks united against a clean funding bill pushed by Republicans.
