White House Told Agencies Prepare for Mass Firing If Shutdown

The White House, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is instructing Federal Agencies to prepare Reduction-in-Force Plans for Mass Firings during a possible Government Shutdown, specifically Targeting Employees who Work for Programs that are Not Iegally Required to Continue. The OMB move to Permanently Reduce the Government Workforce if there is a Shutdown, Outlined in a Memo ahead of Release to Agencies tonight, Escalates the Stakes of a potential Shutdown next week.

In the Memo, OMB told Agencies to Identify Programs, Projects, and Activities, where Discretionary Funding will lapse on Oct. 1st and No Alternative Funding Source is Available. For those Areas, OMB directed Agencies to begin Drafting Reduction-in-Force( RIF) Plans that would go Beyond Standard Furloughs, Permanently Eliminating Jobs in Programs Not Consistent with Trump’s (R) Priorities in the Event of a Shutdown.

The move marks a Significant Break from how Shutdowns have been Handled in recent Decades, when most Furloughs were Temporary and Employees were brought back once Congress Voted to Reopen Government and Funding was Restored. This time, OMB Director Russ Vought (R) is using the Threat of Permanent Job Cuts as Leverage, Upping the Ante in the Standoff with Democrats in Congress, over Government Spending.

“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” OMB wrote in the Memo. Agencies were told to Submit their Proposed RIF Plans to OMB, and to Issue Notices to Employees even if they would otherwise be Eexcepted or Furloughed during a Lapse in Funding.

Programs that will continue Regardless of a Shutdown include: Veterans Benefits, Air Traffic Control, Immigration and Customs, Customs Enforcement, Law Enforcement, Social Security, Medicare, Military Operations, and Border Protection.

Thes Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, are Locked in an Impasse over Funding, with just days before the Fiscal year Ends Sept. 30th. The House Passed a Stopgap Spending Measure to Float Federal Operations through Nov. 21st, but Democrats in the Senate have Refused to Advance it, Demanding that Republicans come to the Table to Negotiate a Bipartisan Package that could include an Extension of Expiring Affordable Care Act Subsidies.

The OMB Letter, Notes that if Congress successfully passes a Clean Stopgap Bill prior to Sept. 30th, the Additional Steps Outlined in this email will Not be Necessary.










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