The Trump administration has escalated its standoff with Senate Democrats, threatening to permanently axe another 100,000 federal workers if the government shuts down next Tuesday.
The Office of Management and Budget has directed departments to prepare reduction-in-force plans for programs inconsistent with presidential priorities and would involve permanent elimination rather than temporary displacement.
It's a significant departure from traditional shutdown procedures where staff are typically furloughed temporarily.
Setting in stone
The White House plans to slash a net of 107,000 positions at non-defense agencies next fiscal year, building on the 300,000 civil servants already expected to depart by year's end.
Around 154,000 personnel have already accepted buyouts and are scheduled to drop off the U.S. government's payroll on September 30.
During Trump's first term, the record 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019 involved traditional furloughs of roughly 800,000 staff who later received back pay once funding resumed.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer condemned the approach as "mafia-style blackmail", while Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen called it intimidation tactics against “dedicated public servants who have nothing to do with the ongoing political and policy disputes”.
Tide changes
The political dynamics have shifted since March, when Schumer and top Democrats provided votes for stopgap funding amid concerns about Trump weaponising a closure.
Democrats are now taking a more confrontational stance, arguing that increased public questioning of the White House provides them leverage to demand healthcare fixes.
In 2022, the federal civilian payroll totalled US$271 billion, with ~60% of workers concentrated in Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security departments.
The planned reductions could hit government contractors and service providers across multiple sectors.
At least 75,000 public sector personnel have taken deferred resignation packages to date, with thousands more probationary staff already terminated.
The Supreme Court cleared a path for downsizing in July, overriding lower court orders that had temporarily frozen the layoffs.
