By Elena Vasquez, Lead Editor
Valiant News Network | September 25, 2025
As the September 30 funding deadline looms like a storm cloud over Washington, the White House has unleashed a strategic thunderbolt: Federal agencies are now ordered to draft “reduction-in-force” (RIF) plans for mass firings of non-essential employees should a government shutdown materialize. This unprecedented escalation—detailed in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent Wednesday evening—marks a seismic shift from the temporary furloughs of past shutdowns, positioning the Trump administration to wield the crisis as a scalpel for long-sought bureaucratic pruning. For conservatives weary of Washington’s bloated leviathan, this isn’t brinkmanship—it’s a righteous reckoning, forcing Democrats to confront their addiction to unchecked spending or face the consequences of a leaner, more accountable government.
The OMB directive, obtained by multiple outlets and authenticated by White House officials, instructs agencies to identify programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) whose discretionary funding lapses on October 1 absent congressional action. These must then be targeted for sweeping RIFs—permanent position eliminations—for employees in roles “not consistent with the President’s priorities” or lacking mandatory appropriations. Unlike the 2018-2019 shutdown’s 800,000 temporary furloughs (with back pay upon resolution), this blueprint envisions enduring cuts, potentially axing tens of thousands of jobs across non-essential bureaucracies. Essential functions—Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, military operations, law enforcement, ICE, CBP, and air traffic control—remain untouched, shielded by mandatory funding or national security imperatives.
OMB Director Russ Vought, a Trump loyalist architecting the administration’s workforce slim-down since February’s executive order, framed the memo as pragmatic preparation amid Democratic “partisan demands.” Agencies were first tasked with lapse contingency plans by August 1—many submitted, but OMB demands updates “ASAP” to refine RIF targets. “Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the memo warns, explicitly linking cuts to Trump’s agenda of fiscal restraint and efficiency.
The Stakes: From Furlough to Finality
This gambit amplifies shutdown risks exponentially. Past closures cost $11 billion in lost productivity (per CBO estimates), but permanent firings could cascade into economic ripples: Disrupted services in discretionary realms like environmental reviews, grant processing, and regulatory oversight, plus a hit to consumer confidence amid already tepid August job growth (22,000 added). The federal civilian workforce, at 2.4 million, has shed 300,000 since January—via attrition, buyouts, and early RIFs—yet OMB eyes deeper trims, fulfilling Trump’s vow to “drain the swamp” without congressional gridlock.
The trigger? A partisan impasse over a “clean” continuing resolution (CR). House Republicans, buoyed by Trump’s tax-border megabill, demand spending caps; Democrats counter with extensions for ACA subsidies and Medicaid reversals—add-ons the GOP deems “wasteful pork.” Trump nixed Thursday’s bipartisan huddle with Schumer and Jeffries, branding it futile; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer fired back, accusing the president of “holding America hostage” to slash services. As X erupts—#ShutdownShowdown trending with 150K posts—conservatives cheer the leverage: “Finally, consequences for Dems’ endless spending sprees,” tweeted Mike Davis (@mrddmia), while liberals decry “authoritarian overreach.”
Agency Readiness: A Patchwork of Plans
Implementation varies wildly. The Pentagon, with its mandatory funding, eyes minimal disruption—furloughing only 10-15% of civilians temporarily. HHS and EPA, heavy on discretionary grants, face steeper RIFs: HHS could pink-slip 20,000 in program admin; EPA’s regulatory staff (already down 15% post-February cuts) braces for more. Treasury warns of delayed refunds and audits; USDA of halted farm loans. Notably, agencies like VA and SSA—vital lifelines—submit plans but exempt core ops, per OMB guidance.
Critics, including unions like AFGE, slam the memo as “extortionate,” predicting lawsuits over rushed RIFs violating civil service protections. Bloomberg reports internal OMB pushback: Some careerists balk at politicized targeting, fearing appeals clogging OPM. Yet, with Trump’s February EO as legal cover, Vought’s team presses: Submit RIF notices even for “excepted” roles, blurring temporary and permanent lines.
Conservative Vindication: Efficiency Over Excess
From a conservative perch, this is no bluff—it’s overdue discipline. Decades of shutdowns (21 since 1976) yielded temporary pain without reform; now, the threat of permanence flips the script, compelling fiscal hawks to hold the line against Dems’ “socialist wish lists.” As one X user quipped amid 500K engagements: “Dems want shutdowns for leverage? Trump just made it their pink slip.” Economists like those at Heritage warn of short-term GDP dips (0.2-0.5%), but long-term gains from a slimmer bureaucracy—echoing Reagan’s 1981 air traffic controller firings that modernized FAA.
Will Congress fold? With Speaker Johnson eyeing a CR vote Friday and McConnell threading Senate filibuster needles, odds tilt toward aversion—but at what cost to principle? VNN watches closely: Liberty thrives on lean government, not leviathan largesse.
At Valiant News Network, we’re committed to Valiant, Verified, and Vanguard reporting—delivering the facts with respect for our institutions and an eye toward liberty’s defense. As the clock ticks, may wisdom prevail over waste.
Signed,
Elena Vasquez
Lead Editor, Valiant News Network
