By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is making this authorities shutdown in contrast to any the nation has ever seen, enabling his finances workplace a uncommon authority to choose winners and losers — who will get paid or fired — in an unprecedented restructuring throughout the federal workforce.
Because the shutdown enters its third week, the Workplace and Administration and Finances stated Tuesday it’s getting ready to “batten down the hatches” with extra reductions in pressure to come back. The president calls finances chief Russ Vought the “grim reaper” who’s seized on the chance to fund Trump’s priorities, paying the navy whereas slashing staff in well being, schooling, the sciences and different areas with actions which have been criticized as unlawful and are dealing with court docket challenges.
“Pay the troops, pay regulation enforcement, proceed the RIFs, and wait,” OMB stated in a social media submit.
With Congress at a standstill — the Republican-led Home refusing to return to session and the Senate caught in a loop of failed votes to reopen authorities as Democrats demand well being care funds — the White Home’s finances workplace shortly crammed the void.
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Russell Vought, Workplace of Administration and Finances director, listens as he addresses members of the media outdoors the West Wing on the White Home in Washington, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci)
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Russell Vought, Workplace of Administration and Finances director, listens as he addresses members of the media outdoors the West Wing on the White Home in Washington, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photograph/Evan Vucci)
From Venture 2025 to the White Home
Vought, a chief architect of the conservative Venture 2025 coverage e-book, is reshaping the scale and scope of federal authorities in methods much like these envisioned within the blueprint. It’s precisely what sure lawmakers, notably Democrats, feared if Congress didn’t fund the federal government.
Trump’s priorities — supporting the navy and pursuing his mass deportation agenda — have been stored largely uninterrupted, regardless of the closures. However staff in well being, schooling, the sciences and different federal departments are amongst these being laid off. As many as 750,000 staff are being furloughed.
“Donald Trump and Russ Vought and all of their cronies are utilizing this second to terrorize these patriots,” stated Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., standing with federal staff Tuesday outdoors the White Home finances workplace.
Van Hollen stated it’s “an enormous fats lie” when Trump and his finances director say that the shutdown is making them fireplace federal staff. “It’s also unlawful and we are going to see them in court docket,” Van Hollen stated.
Shutdown grinds into a 3rd week
Now on its 14th day, the federal closure is shortly turning into among the many longest authorities shutdowns. Congress failed to satisfy the Oct. 1 deadline to move the annual appropriations payments wanted to fund the federal government because the Democrats demanded a deal to protect expiring well being care funds that present subsidies for folks to buy insurance coverage via the Reasonably priced Care Act.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday stated he has nothing to barter with the Democrats till they vote to reopen the federal government.
The Republican speaker welcomed OMB’s newest actions to pay some staff and fireplace others.
“They’ve each proper to maneuver the funds round,” Johnson stated at a press convention on the Capitol. If the Democrats need to problem the Trump administration in court docket, Johnson stated, “carry it.”
Sometimes, federal staff are furloughed throughout a lapse in funding, historically with again pay as soon as authorities funding is restored. However Vought’s finances workplace introduced late final week the reductions in forces had begun. Greater than 4,000 staff obtained layoff notices over the weekend.
Navy pay, deportations on monitor
On the identical time, Trump instructed the navy to search out cash to make sure service personnel wouldn’t miss paychecks this week. The Pentagon stated over the weekend it was in a position to faucet $8 billion in unused analysis and growth funds to make payroll.
On Tuesday, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem stated her company was counting on Trump’s huge tax cuts regulation for funding to verify members of the Coast Guard, which falls underneath the division, are additionally paid.
“We at DHS labored out an progressive resolution to guarantee that didn’t occur,” Noem stated in a press release. Because of “the One Large Lovely Invoice,” she stated, “the courageous women and men of the US Coast Guard won’t miss a paycheck this week.”
In previous shutdowns, the Workplace of Administration and Finances has overseen company plans throughout the lapse in federal fundings, guaranteeing which staff are important and stay on the job. Vought, nonetheless, has taken his position additional by talking brazenly about his plans to go after the federal workforce.
As businesses began making their shutdown plans, Vought’s OMB inspired division heads to think about reductions in pressure, an exceptional motion. The finances workplace’s normal counsel, Mark Paoletta advised in a draft memo that the workforce will not be routinely eligible for again pay as soon as authorities reopens.
‘Grim reaper’ replaces Elon Musk’s chainsaw
Trump posted an AI-generated video final week that portrayed Vought dressed with cloak and dagger, towards the backdrop of the basic rock staple “(Don’t Concern) The Reaper.”
“Each authoritarian chief has had his grim reaper. Russell Vought is Donald Trump’s,” stated Rep. Steny Hoyer, the senior Democrat from Maryland.
Hoyer in contrast the finances chief to billionaire Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw earlier this 12 months as a part of the Division of Authorities Effectivity’s slashing of the workforce “Vought swings his scythe via the federal authorities as thoughtlessly,” he stated.
In some ways, the “Large, Lovely Invoice, Act” because the regulation is usually referred to as, offers the White Home an unlimited new allotment of federal funding for its precedence tasks, separate from the common appropriations course of in Congress.
The bundle unleashed some $175 billion for the Pentagon, together with for the Golden Dome missile protect and different precedence tasks, and one other $175 million to Homeland Safety largely for Trump’s mass deportation agenda. It additionally included additional funds for Vought’s work at OMB.
Trump’s huge invoice offers billions
Sure funds from the “huge invoice” can be found for use throughout the shutdown, in line with the nonpartisan Congressional Finances Workplace.
“The Administration additionally may resolve to make use of obligatory funding supplied within the 2025 reconciliation act or different sources of obligatory funding to proceed actions financed by these direct appropriations at numerous businesses,” in line with CBO.
The CBO cited the Division of Protection, the Division of the Treasury, the Division of Homeland Safety, and the Workplace of Administration and Finances as amongst those who obtained eligible funds underneath the regulation.
Related Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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