(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The White House moved to squeeze Senate Democrats Tuesday night by ordering federal agencies to begin shutdown procedures after lawmakers blocked a Republican bid to extend funding beyond midnight.
Russell Vought, the president’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) boss, issued the directive in a memo instructing agency leaders to “execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”
He said federal employees should still report for duty to “undertake orderly shutdown activities.”
The move formally launches the first government closure since President Donald Trump’s initial term in office, and kicks off a disruptive process as hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs, and a broad array of public services will be suspended.
Agencies have already circulated contingency plans outlining which staff and services are deemed essential enough to keep running, according to Politico.
Vought has gone further than previous budget chiefs, previously calling on agencies to use the shutdown not just as a stopgap measure, but as a chance to permanently shrink the federal workforce.
He has urged departments to draft plans for mass layoffs, a move Democrats say amounts to weaponizing a crisis to achieve long-standing goals.
While negotiations continue, the White House is gambling that pressure from suspended paychecks, shuttered services, and mounting public frustration will force Democrats to cave.
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