White House begins federal workforce layoffs as shutdown enters second week

As the government shutdown continued into its second week, the White House confirmed Oct. 10 that it has begun a sweeping downsizing of the federal workforce.

"The RIFs have begun," White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought wrote on X, using the abbreviation for "reductions in force."

Vought did not specify which agencies or how many employees will be affected, but an OMB official told FOX News Digital that the layoffs would be “substantial.” Unlike furloughs, reductions are permanent.

According to NBC News, the departments of Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services are among those impacted. The Environmental Protection Agency is also affected.

Federal law requires at least 60 days’ notice before layoffs take effect, though the Office of Personnel Management can issue a waiver reducing the period to 30 days, NPR reported.

The Trump administration has warned for days that workforce cuts could follow if the shutdown persisted. 

The White House has blamed Democrats for the impasse, saying layoffs are needed to meet budget constraints. At an Oct. 6 press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the “conversation about layoffs would not be happening right now if the Democrats did not vote to shut the government down.”

“We are $37 trillion in debt and the government is not receiving any cash, so someone has to look at the balance sheet and be good stewards of the American taxpayer dollar,” Leavitt added. “And layoffs are an unfortunate consequence of that.” 

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Oct. 7, Trump said that any layoffs would “be substantial, and a lot of those jobs will never come back.”  

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reacted to Vought’s announcement, saying no one is forcing the administration to eliminate the positions.

“They're callously choosing to hurt people — the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike,” Schumer said.

Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, are insisting on taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants as part of their spending demands — a key reason they refuse to back the GOP’s proposal, according to the Trump administration. The White House said in a statement that the Democratic proposal would spend roughly $200 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants and other non-citizens over the next decade. 

On Oct. 9, the Senate again rejected a Republican bill to fund the government through Nov. 21, in a 54-45 vote. As in all previous votes, three members of the Democratic caucus — Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Angus King of Maine — joined Republicans, while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was again the lone Republican “no” vote.

Hours earlier, the Democratic-backed measure also failed to advance for the seventh time in a 47 to 50 vote.

The Senate has now adjourned for the Columbus Day weekend. Lawmakers are not scheduled to return until the evening of Oct. 14.