A growing number of congressional Democrats are sounding the alarm over the potential mass firings of federal employees after members of their party in the Senate doomed a House-passed continuing resolution to keep the government open.
Several House Democrats gathered on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to voice their outrage after President Donald Trump noted earlier this week that it would be much easier to trim the federal workforce during a shutdown, adding that he was prepared to do so.
“It is deeply offensive that the president is threatening to fire federal workers if we can’t reach an agreement without offering any meaningful solutions here,” Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., said. during a news conference.
“The president continues to threaten those workers, but please know if you’re a civil servant in the state of Maryland, know that we have your back as a team,” she added.
Trump has used the occasion, nicknamed the “Schumer Shutdown” after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), to press forward with efforts to reshape the federal workforce, warning of mass layoffs and “irreversible” cuts to programs long backed by Democrats.
Instead of relying solely on furloughs, which are typically used during lapses in federal funding, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were “imminent.”
The Office of Management and Budget also announced it was pausing approximately $18 billion in infrastructure funding for New York’s subway and Hudson Tunnel projects—major priorities in the home state of House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
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Trump praised the actions of his budget director, calling the moves a reflection of the administration’s broader fiscal strategy.
“He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn’t do any other way,” the president said at the start of the week of OMB Director Russ Vought, per ABC7.
“So they’re taking a risk by having a shutdown,” Trump added.
Thursday marked the second day of the government shutdown, with tensions escalating as the Trump administration pursued a more aggressive strategy than in previous funding lapses. The approach reflects concerns raised by some lawmakers and budget analysts that failure by Congress to pass spending legislation would leave the White House with broad control over the outcome.
During a private conference call with House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said layoffs could begin within days.
The move builds on the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, launched earlier this year under Elon Musk, which carried out significant cuts across federal agencies.
With no clear resolution in sight, the shutdown could extend well into October, when federal employees still reporting to work would begin missing paychecks. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that approximately 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed on any given day, resulting in about $400 million in lost wages daily, ABC7 reported.
“The longer this goes on, the more pain will be inflicted,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., “because it is inevitable when the government shuts down.”
Trump and congressional leaders are not expected to meet again in the near term. Congress had no action scheduled Thursday in observance of a Jewish holy day, with the Senate set to reconvene Friday and the House scheduled to return next week.
Democrats are clinging to their demand for more “healthcare funding,” but it would come via an extension of Obamacare subsidies at the expense of taxpayers. In addition, Democrats want more Medicaid funding, some of which would go to more than a million illegal aliens, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“Republicans have opened a door to negotiating the health care issue, but GOP leaders say it can wait, since the subsidies that help people purchase private insurance don’t expire until year’s end,” ABC7 reported.
