White House tells agencies to prepare for mass layoffs, firings if there is a shutdown next week

Jeff Mordock, Washington Times

The White House’s budget office has sent a memo to federal agencies telling them to

prepare for mass layoffs in case Congress fails to pass a spending bill and the government shuts down on Wednesday. The memo from the OMB raises the stakes for Democrats, putting federal employees’ livelihoods at risk if they don’t support Republican measures. In the memo, the White House told the agencies to put together “reduction in force” plans, signaling the administration is planning to go beyond the traditional furloughing of federal employees.