As threatened by the Trump administration ahead of the government shutdown, federal employees could soon face layoffs as the shutdown continues with no end yet in sight. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told House Republicans in a conference call Wednesday, the first day of the shutdown, that the administration plans to begin firing federal workers within "one to two" days. The warning follows a memo from Vought last week threatening mass layoffs if Congress failed to reach a funding deal.
Details remain scarce, but Vought told Republicans that agencies would consider cutting employees from any federally funded programs whose money dried up as of Wednesday, especially those not aligned with President Trump's priorities. The memo stopped short of estimating how many workers could lose their jobs. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly confirmed Wednesday that layoffs are coming, but wouldn't nail down a timeline, WCVB reports. "Two days, imminent, very soon," she said. "All of those things are very synonymous with one another."
Vice President JD Vance also discussed the coming layoffs, saying Wednesday, "We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don't like that. We don't necessarily want to do it. But we're going to do what we have to keep the American people's essential services continuing to run." Vance also denied political motivations, asserting the goal is to keep core government functions operating.
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Vought's conference call also highlighted potential effects on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program, which could run out of funding within a week, and noted that military and federal employee pay would be suspended. National parks, meanwhile, will remain partially open.
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