The White House budget office has directed federal agencies to prepare for sweeping job cuts if Congress fails to pass a funding bill by September 30.
The Office of Management and Budget memo, obtained by CNN, ordered agencies to identify programs without alternative funding that could face permanent reductions in force.
White House orders agencies to prep for mass firings during a government shutdown — as Dems vow ‘we will not be intimidated’ https://t.co/dVhwZSZVBR pic.twitter.com/Su9anQU8db
— New York Post (@nypost) September 25, 2025
The move marks a sharp departure from past shutdown procedures and underscores President Donald Trump’s push to shrink the federal bureaucracy. The memo stated that only “core Trump Administration priorities” would continue to receive funding during a lapse.
Hypocrite Democrats are driving us off the government shutdown cliff https://t.co/bDsAEmlkCY pic.twitter.com/24J3HnjMff
— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) September 24, 2025
Democrats blasted the plan as intimidation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a scare tactic, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused OMB Director Russell Vought of political gamesmanship.
The standoff comes as Democrats demand extensions of Obamacare subsidies in exchange for funding, while the White House insists on a “clean” extension to keep the government open.
.@StephenM: Democrats have been clear — they will not fund law enforcement, the military, or public safety, unless they get free health care for illegals.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 24, 2025
"We will see if there's enough Democrat senators who are dumb enough to follow Chuck Schumer off the edge of that cliff." pic.twitter.com/cGQ2yg0LSx
