Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the White House of carrying out an “attempt at intimidation” after reports surfaced of a memo directing federal agencies to prepare for mass firings as the government edges closer to a shutdown.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reportedly instructed agencies to issue Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to some employees in anticipation of a potential funding lapse in Washington.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Congress has until the end of September to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily keep the government running. Lawmakers remain gridlocked over 12 appropriations bills to fund the government for the next fiscal year. If no agreement is reached by 11:59 p.m. on September 30, the federal government will shut down.
Shutdowns affect wide areas of public life. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees risk going unpaid or being furloughed, while services such as passport processing, access to national parks, and certain government benefits may be disrupted.
What To Know
Schumer responded Thursday to the Trump administration memo outlining the possibility of firing employees if the shutdown takes effect on October 1.
According to Politico, the OMB directed agencies to consider RIF notices for staff in programs that lose discretionary funding during a shutdown, particularly if those programs lack alternative funding sources or are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
The memo stated:
“RIF notices will be in addition to any furlough notices provided due to the lapse in appropriation. RIF notices should be issued to all employees working on the relevant PPA, regardless of whether the employee is excepted or furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.”
Unlike typical shutdown furloughs, this step could lead to permanent job losses.
Schumer issued a sharp rebuke, calling the memo an intimidation tactic.
“Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare. This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government,” he said.
He added that any such firings would either be overturned in court or reversed by the administration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also criticized the move, saying:
“We will not be intimidated by these threats coming from the most extreme parts of the Trump administration.”
Although the House has already passed a CR, it faces hurdles in the Senate, where bipartisan support is required to clear the 60-vote filibuster. Democrats have accused Republicans—who control the White House, Congress, and the courts—of refusing to compromise on health care and other key issues. Republicans, in turn, have blamed Senate Democrats for rejecting the House’s proposal.
What People Are Saying
On X, Democratic leaders warned of the potential fallout:
- Jeffries wrote: “Attention, Virginia Donald Trump and MAGA extremists are plotting mass firings of federal workers starting October 1. Their goal is to ruin your life and punish hardworking families already struggling with Trump Tariffs and inflation. Remember in November.”
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse added: “These weird sickos enjoy cruelty.”
Republicans pushed back. House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote:
“House Republicans have already done the job of passing a clean, bipartisan bill to keep the government open. Now it’s up to Senate Democrats, who have long said shutdowns are bad and hurt people, to vote to fund the American government, or shut it down because they want to restore taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens.”
What Happens Next
Congress has just five days left to strike a deal and prevent a shutdown.
