White House orders US agencies to prepare for mass sack ahead of possible shutdown
The White House has directed federal agencies to prepare for large-scale staff cuts if the US government shuts down next week, according to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) obtained by Politico. The document, circulated on Wednesday, indicated that President Donald Trump’s administration may go beyond the usual temporary furloughs seen in previous shutdowns. Instead, agencies were instructed to draw up staff reduction plans and notify employees in programs not legally mandated to continue. “Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the memo said. The warning comes as the Trump administration clashes with congressional Democrats over funding ahead of a looming Sept. 30 fiscal deadline. Last week, Senate Democrats rejected a stopgap funding bill hurriedly passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. In response, Trump […]
