Trump's White House asks federal agencies to consider mass firings if government shutdown happens [View all]

Source: Yahoo Finance

The White House circulated a directive late Wednesday to federal agencies asking them to explore firing at least some of their workers if a government shutdown happens, amplifying the stakes of Washington's ongoing gridlock.

The memo from President Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directs executive branch agencies "to use this opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices," adding that the possible permanent cuts would be in areas "not consistent with the president's priorities."

Such a move would represent a sharp escalation of past shutdown procedures, which have been marked by a temporary furloughing of some government workers.

The plan this time around, according to the memo, could be for the government to send certain workers home and then eventually reopen, but only "retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions."

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-white-house-asks-federal-agencies-to-consider-mass-firings-if-government-shutdown-happens-122227272.html