President Trump raised the stakes on Capitol Hill after the White House budget office directed federal agencies to plan for mass layoffs, rather than traditional workforce furloughs, if Democrats don’t agree to a short-term stopgap funding measure ahead of next week’s shutdown deadline.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget reviewed by The Hill on Wednesday night indicated that agencies are directed to consider reducing their workforce if funding is unavailable as of Oct. 1 — and if the programs, projects, or activities are not “consistent with the president’s priorities.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) called the warning “an attempt at intimidation.”
Trump, meanwhile, is hosting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the White House Thursday. He’ll sign an executive order later in the day, followed by a meeting with the Pakistani prime minister.
And in Dallas, a Wednesday shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility marked the second fatal instance of political violence this month. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive in the attack.
Catch up here:
- — GOP, Democrats both see incentives in a shutdown that looks inevitable
- — Thune says to expect ‘explosive’ oversight hearings on Trump’s powers
- — Epstein discharge petition poised to hit its mark, forcing House vote to release files
Follow here all day for updates.
