A September 24 memo emailed from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to cabinet secretaries spells out how the administration will use any government shutdown as an “opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees in programs, projects, or activities” whose funding lapses on October 1, 2025, has no other source of funding, and are “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”

Senate votes to try and pass the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) are expected September 29 and 30. Odds for passage appear slim, as Democrats are thus far united in opposition to a CR that does not reverse HR 1’s Medicaid cuts, extend the expiring enhanced premium tax credits for health insurance purchased from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, and curtail ways for the White House to unilaterally not spend congressionally appropriated funding. Republicans need seven Democrats to join them to pass the CR.

“If Congress successfully passes a clean CR prior to September 30, the additional steps outlined in this email will not be necessary,” the email to cabinet secretaries says, daring Senate Democrats to be called responsible for what could be mass firings of federal staff. Typically, during a shutdown, nonessential staff are furloughed and not fired.

As of September 25, neither the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department of Health and Human Services have published their contingency plans (a.k.a. lapse plans); these will outline how an agency’s programs and staff will or will not function during a partial government shutdown in fiscal year 2026.

Read the September 24 OMB memo here.