Agencies Told to Prepare for Mass Firings if Government Shuts Down
The Trump Administration is drawing up plans to fire thousands of federal workers instead of furloughing them if there is a government shutdown.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to prepare for mass firings starting October 1, if a deal is not reached before funding expires at midnight on September 30. The move is a stark departure from previous shutdowns, where workers were furloughed and then brought back when a budget deal was reached.
The memo tells agencies to consider firing employees working on any program if it meets the following conditions: discretionary funding lapses on October 1, another source of funding isn’t available and the programs, projects, or activities are not “consistent with the president’s priorities.”
In the memo, first reported by Politico, OMB notes that Trump Administration priorities will continue “uninterrupted” thanks to legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill.
But it notes that “programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown.”
RIF Notices
The memo says that Reduction in Force (RIF) notices will be issued in addition to any furlough notices. RIF notices could also be issued to employees who are not furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.
In addition, agencies were ordered to revise their RIFs as needed to “retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions” once fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations are enacted.
Finally, the memo chastised Democrats for not agreeing to a continuing resolution (CR) and stated that should a CR be reached “the additional steps outlined in this email will not be necessary.”
Shutdown Odds Rise
The threat from OMB puts more pressure on Democrats to reach back a clean CR.
Both houses of Congress are currently in recess, with the Senate set to return on Monday, September 29, just one day before the deadline. Before leaving, Senate Democrats rejected a CR that would extend funding until November 20 at current levels, because it did not include an extension of tax credits to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a position that President Trump and Republicans have rejected.
The president also canceled a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders that was set to take place this week.
But Senate Minority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he’s not intimidated by the administration’s threat of mass layoffs.
“Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one — not to govern, but to scare,” stated Sen. Schumer.
Federal Groups Speak Out
Meanwhile, federal worker organizations, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEAOA), are urging Congress to reach a deal.
"Federal law enforcement officers will continue to show up and protect this country, even when the government shuts down, but it's unacceptable to ask them to do so without pay," said Mathew Silverman, National President of FLEOA. “While the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 ensures we will eventually receive back pay, that does nothing to help families make ends meet in the middle of a shutdown. Missed or delayed paychecks still mean missed mortgage payments, empty refrigerators, and mounting stress.”
And in a letter to Congress that has garnered over 4,100 signatures so far, the Civil Servants Coalition that includes members from Federal Workers Against DOGE (FWAD) and the Science and Freedom Alliance (SAFA) is asking that four specific provisions be included in any CR.
The coalition letter, which is open to signatures from current federal employees, former feds, and federal allies alike, asks for an end to the impoundment of Congressionally appropriated funds, a defense of healthcare, science, safety, and public health, protecting the federal workforce from unlawful purges and retaliation, and protecting civil liberties.
“These measures are not partisan asks, they are constitutional imperatives,” stated the Civil Servants Coalition letter.