White House budget office tells agencies to draft mass firing plans
ahead of potential shutdown
[September 25, 2025]
By SEUNG MIN KIM
WASHINGTON (AP) — 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, when federal workers not
deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once
Congress approved government spending.
A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate
their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a
federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year
due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and
elsewhere in the Trump administration.
Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to
revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal
number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,"
according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.
This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a
potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers
united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and
congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government
operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to
health care in exchange for their votes.
In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two
Democrats showed no signs of budging.
“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,”
Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”
Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political
hack."
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Capitol Police officers adjust security barriers around the East
Plaza at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. With
just days to go before federal money runs out with the end of the
fiscal year on Tuesday, Sept. 30, Congress has failed to pass
legislation to keep the government running after becoming deadlocked
during votes late last week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at
intimidation" and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be
overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the
workers back.”
OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal
agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office
plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly
planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also
posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency
workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which
would be furloughed — on its website, but this one has not.
The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support
a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,”
which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies
set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid
cuts that were included in Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts
law.
"As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to
be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,"
the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP's signature law, a
major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to
ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue
uninterrupted.”
OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in
case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.
“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added.
“Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”
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