The U.S. government shutdown entered its first day on Wednesday, and the Trump administration is already preparing to slash parts of the federal workforce.
According to Reuters, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought told House Republicans on a private call Wednesday that the administration plans to begin firing federal employees within “one to two days.” The warning follows a memo Vought issued last week, which instructed agencies to prepare Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for employees in programs that lost funding after the fiscal year expired.
The memo suggested that jobs tied to projects “not consistent with the President’s priorities” could be eliminated, though it did not specify how many positions might be cut. During the call, Vought also cautioned that the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program could run out of money in as little as a week if Congress does not act, Reuters reported.
Speaking shortly afterward at the White House, Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that the administration intends to move ahead with dismissals if the shutdown continues. “We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don’t like that. We don’t necessarily want to do it,” Vance told reporters, according to Reuters.
At the same time, Vance pushed back against accusations that the Trump administration is seeking to politicize the process. “We’re not targeting federal agencies based on politics,” he said. “We’re targeting the people’s government so that as much as possible of the essential services can continue to function,” The Guardian reported.
The looming layoffs are just one piece of the broader disruption already rippling through the federal workforce. Hundreds of thousands of employees have been furloughed without pay, while others deemed “essential” are working without a paycheck. Military pay is also on hold, raising concerns among service members and their families.
National parks will remain partially open but with reduced services, and federal agencies are scaling back programs that do not fall under exempt categories. In addition, the White House confirmed that funding shortfalls could affect programs like food assistance and housing support if the shutdown drags on.
The stalemate in Washington remains unresolved. On Wednesday, the Senate once again failed to pass either a Democratic or Republican stopgap measure to fund the government. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the chamber, any deal requires bipartisan cooperation — but both sides remain dug in.
The White House has blamed Democrats for refusing to support a spending bill aligned with President Trump’s policy priorities, while Democrats argue that the administration is holding the federal workforce hostage in pursuit of political goals. As both chambers remain at an impasse, the shutdown has no clear end in sight.
For now, the administration appears determined to push ahead with job cuts in the coming days, a move that could reshape parts of the federal workforce and intensify the political battle over the shutdown.