The White House has instructed US federal agencies to brace for mass staff cuts in the event of a government shutdown next week, according to a memo first obtained by Politico.
The document, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), suggested that President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing to go beyond the temporary vacations used in previous shutdowns.
Instead, agencies have been told to identify programmes that were not legally mandated to continue operations.
“Programmes that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the memo stated, directing agencies to submit staff reduction plans and notify affected employees.
The directive came amid a funding standoff between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats ahead of a September 30 fiscal deadline.
Senate Democrats recently rejected a stopgap funding bill rushed through by the Republican-controlled House, prompting Trump to cancel a planned meeting with Democratic leaders and said he would not negotiate until they “become realistic.”
With both chambers of Congress currently in recess, senators are due to resume on Monday.
A shutdown would halt non-essential federal operations and temporarily leave hundreds of thousands of civil servants without pay.
Republicans, who hold narrow majorities in both chambers, still need Democratic support in the Senate to pass any funding measure.
House Republicans have signalled they will not reconvene before the deadline, forcing the Senate to accept their proposal or risk a shutdown.
Even if passed, the House bill would only provide short-term relief, extending funding until November 21. The last shutdown occurred in March, when disputes over Trump’s budget cuts led to thousands of federal employees being laid off.
