The White House on Thursday escalated tensions over a looming U.S. government shutdown, warning federal agencies to prepare not only for furloughs but also for potential mass firings under President Donald Trump’s administration.
In a memo obtained by AFP, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed agencies to draft staff reduction plans and notify employees, signaling a tougher approach than in previous shutdowns, where temporary furloughs were the norm.
“Agencies are directed to use this opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees,” the memo stated, raising the stakes in the standoff.
The warning comes as Trump remains locked in a heated budget battle with congressional Democrats ahead of the September 30 fiscal deadline. Failure to reach a deal would plunge Washington into yet another political crisis.
The term reduction in force mirrors language used earlier this year when the Trump administration carried out sweeping dismissals under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk.
The White House blamed Democrats for the standoff, accusing them of making “a series of insane demands” and breaking with a decade-long practice of bipartisan compromises to avert shutdowns.
With less than a week until the deadline, the administration’s threat of permanent job cuts marks a sharp escalation — and underscores the high political and economic stakes of the showdown.
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